Summer is one of the most exciting seasons to hit the beach and with this comes the biggest challenge to maintain a beach-proud body. Dubai-based supermodel Elvira Jain shares some helpful tips on keeping that healthy body through proper diet and workout this Summer.
Stay Hydrated
Dubai can be extremely hot during the summer months so keeping yourself properly hydrated should be the first step on your list when learning how to get a summer body! And it isn’t just for the weight loss benefits. One thing to do is get an infuser water bottle. With one of these, you can make your own flavoured water with fruit which will encourage you to drink more! Fresh fruits like strawberries, berries, oranges, lemons, limes, etc. work really well, so there’s plenty of choice. If you struggle to cut out caffeinated drinks like tea and coffee, then you can always try green tea or herbal tea to substitute some of your daily intakes!
Diet is key
Nutrition or summer body diet counts for 80% of your progress when getting in shape, and that leaves exercise with 20%. This is a shocking fact but so true! You can do 1,000 push ups, but you won’t lose much body fat if you go and eat everything you can afterwards.
I normally recommend a 3-meal or 5-meal per day plan; with the 3 meals per day plan, you could have a cup size of yoghurt or porridge etc. for breakfast with a cup of fruit added and possibly a dash of flaked almonds (a great source of fibre).
You would then have a cooked meal for lunch with a fist-sized portion of the three recommended food groups, and then something similar for dinner. This could be a whole grain sandwich with a cup of veg or salad, then some fruit on the side. The point is that your portion of each food group shouldn’t be much more than a cup serving.
With the 5 meals per day approach, you would decrease these meals by a third of their size, and then add in 2-3 snacks that were palm-sized- a palmful of nuts, two small boiled eggs and some spinach, palmful of carrot sticks or celery as your snacks for the day.
The Workout
Once you’ve followed my tips in step 2 and got into a nice routine of planning your nutrition, it’s time to turn your attention to your summer body workout routine!
I personally love HIIT and strength training, some of my favourites being Kettlebell squats, Burpees, Flutter Kicks, Bicycle Crunches, Moving Plank.
Get good Sleep
Getting your full 7-9 hours of sleep is vital when learning how to get a summer body fast. Without getting to bed at a reasonable time, the process of losing weight and/or getting fit slows down unfavourably. When you don’t get enough sleep, two of the hunger hormones in the body called ghrelin and leptin are influenced. Ghrelin is the hormone that allows the brain to know when you are hungry. It is released in your stomach in high amounts when you are hungry, and low amounts when you have eaten. On the other hand, the fat cells release leptin, which allows the brain to know when you are satisfied. In the case of sleep deprivation, your body creates less leptin but more ghrelin than usual. This causes a spike in your appetite, hence the need for the right dose of sleep.
Record Your Progress
You’ve nailed your summer body diet, you’ve been working out endlessly, and you’re sleeping like a log. What else could you possibly do to ensure that you know exactly how to get a perfectly shaped physique? The final step in our guide is to record your progress. Here are some quick suggestions:
- Weigh yourself on the same scale in the morning each week.
- Measure your waist, arms, legs, etc. each week.
- Keep an outfit that doesn’t fit and try it on every week (it will get gradually looser/tighter depending on your goals!).
- Track your body fat percentage on the scales at the gym.
About ELVIRA JAIN
Elvira Jain is a Dubai-based supermodel and businesswoman. Arriving at the peak of Dubai’s golden age of fashion, Jain rose to fame in the late 2010s as part of Dubai’s growing couture fashion culture. Her collaborations with Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Armani, Phillip Plein, Lacoste, Vans Cleef and Arpel, Charlotte Tilbury, regional talents such as Zuhair Murad and AMATO Couture, brought her to fashion icon status. She is a favourite amongst local and international designers from couture to commercial brands. She has been featured in top international magazines such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, L’Officiel, Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health, Esquire, to name just a few. She also strutted the runway of international fashion weeks in India, China and the United Arab Emirates.
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