As summer approaches, so does the season of beaches, weddings, family reunions, and other special events. The excitement sets in, but so does panic if you’re worrying about how your swimsuit, beach clothes, or that little black dress will fit.
We’ve all been there. My wife and I recently came back from Mexico, and before we went she wanted to drop some weight.
As a personal trainer I knew first what not to do. Crash diets, training like an Olympian, and trying to drop all the weight in an unreasonable amount of time are all no-nos. Please don’t pressure yourself or a personal trainer into performing miracles or doing anything that could compromise your long-term health.
Getting Started
I built for my wife a program with 45 minutes of cardio and a 15-minute circuit and core plan to be done five days a week, using the other two days of the week to rest. She drank a smoothie for breakfast and lunch, ate a healthy dinner, and had a few healthy snacks of vegetables in between. She never ate until she was stuffed—only until she was satisfied.
My suggestion for most people is to work out three to five days a week, consisting of 30 to 45 minutes of cardio, 15 to 20 minutes of circuit and core training, and finishing with stretches.
When you burn calories through cardio and weights, it’s very important to have balanced meals. If you don’t replace the calories burned with nutritional calories your body breaks down muscle for energy and leaves the fat!
The result? You’ll lose weight, but not where you want it, and you’ll feel fatigued and compromise your immune system. Not a good idea.
Also, keep in mind that exercise programs should be performed at the level you are at. Don’t begin highly aggressive workout if you are just starting or have not been exercising regularly—it’s a good way to get injured (and then, there goes your entire plan!).
So, depending on how regularly you exercise, here are two possible plans to follow if you’re going away or need to fit into something you want to wear:
Plan A: If You Exercise Regularly
Do what I call a “2-a-day”: that is when you pick two or three days out of the four or five days you work out and double up. On those days you do a 1-hour cardio workout early in the day, plus a 1-hour weight and core workout in the evening or afternoon. On the other two or three days you do your regular workout routine.
This plan shocks the body, and is something I recommend doing only once every five weeks.
It doesn’t matter what you do first, as long as you spread the cardio and weights far enough apart that your body is rested. I recommend at least 4 hours in between.
Plan B: If You Do Not Exercise Regularly
For those that do not exercise on a regular basis but want to drop some weight, I recommend the same type of program that I set my wife on, which was working out three to five days a week with at least two days off. You want to have 30 to 45 minutes of cardio,15 to 20 minutes of circuit and core training, and finish with stretches.
Let It Go and Have Fun!
Choose clothing you love and that looks great on you—not something you hope you’ll fit into once you have your dream “vacation body.” Clothes that fit well will make you feel great, period.
Give yourself a break while you’re on holiday: while in Mexico, my wife and I worked out only two days out of seven (and built in some active things to do, like walking or renting a bike). We also ate a healthy breakfast and lunch but then had anything we wanted for dinner. We tried to eat before 7 pm, but sometimes that didn’t happen—especially when we had long naps after lunch!
But that’s what vacations are for! We didn’t get depressed for putting on a few pounds. What’s a vacation or a special day for if not to have a great time and live a little?
Post-Vacation Tips
When you get back to your day-to-day life, it can be easy to lose the momentum you had for working out. Try these tips for sticking to a fitness regimen and aim for three to five days a week of working out. If you’ve been away for a while, your body may be in vacation mode. Take it easy with exercise, but at least try to eat healthy—it’ll get you back on track that much faster.