HOW TO CLEAN UP YOUR EATING HABITS THIS SUMMER

It's not too late to work on your "summer body." You still have time to make changes and see results while the weather is nice. Some of my biggest changes have come during the summer months. Maybe it's the motivation to wear shorts, tanks and swimsuits. Sometimes I think it's the heat making me want more raw foods, like salads and less hot & hearty (read: calorie and carb heavy) foods.  

So where should you start? 

The first place to start is with what you're drinking. A lot of the cold drinks we reach for when we are hot are high in sugars and calories. Trading your sweet tea in for a cold glass of water will cut some calories from your day. Can't give up your tea or soda cold-turkey? I understand. Start by scaling back. If you usually have 3-4 a day, cut it to 1-2 and drink water the rest of the day. Commit to drinking a glass of water with each meal - before having your regular drink. It'll get easier with time if it is challenging at first. 

The next change you can make is to start adding more nutritious foods to your diet. Start by adding more veggies, fruits, and nuts to your meals. Maybe you are eating pizza, but if you also commit to eating a salad with your pizza you will likely eat fewer slices than normal because the salad took up some space. If you have been following me for some time you know that this is one of the first changes I made & I ended up eating broccoli with my cereal each morning! Hahaha! 

After you have mastered those two things, I recommend that you try to cook or prepare most of your meals yourself. In other words, if you currently eat out more than you cook - time to get in the kitchen! Restaurants want their food to taste super yummy, so that often means excessive amounts of butter, oils and other things that add calories and fats. But when you prepare your own foods, you can control all of that and still enjoy delicious foods. Try some of the recipes I have shared on the blog or on social media or explore Pinterest to get some ideas. 

Have you noticed that I haven't said anything about counting calories? That doesn't have to be your focus when you're starting - or ever. I lost my first 30lbs without counting calories. Eat when you are hungry. Eat less junk food & more whole/natural foods. The rest will work itself out. 

These tips should get you started, but I'm going to throw in a FREE one day meal plan to get your creativity flowing. Keep me posted with your progress & I'd love to see some of the meal plans you come up with on your own! 

Make sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram, And feel free to send me your questions or thoughts!

You can also purchase my 10 Day Quick Start here. It comes with an easy to follow meal plan and everything you need to jump start your lifestyle change.