Will summer ever come? And stay?!!
With the hope the sun will shine again soon - the thought of baring all in warmer weather also fills me with a slight dread.
The thought of having to expose bits of myself I would much prefer keep under wraps, my tummy, my arms, my thighs - actually - I could go on all day! But we must face our fear and, well, just put some effort in if we want to dare to bare this summer!
Having lost 3 stone in the past 12 months myself I know it's not easy to click your fingers and slip into that gold lame cutaway one-piece and look like Miranda Kerr - but a bit of hard work and concious healthy eating can boost your body confidence no end.
While trying to lose weight and get my fitness back post-baby - I found a great "express" way to workout - HIIT - or high intensity interval training to you and me (don't worry, it sounds far worse than it actually is!).
Personal trainer, fitness guru, nutritional coach and all round gorgeous goddess Tara Hammett advocates this high intensity way of exercising, but the best bit is - it's so quick.
All you need to be able to do is commit to 12 minutes a day. And no, that's not a typo - yes 12 minutes! Tara's 21-day fat loss challenge provides you with 2 daily workout videos, meal plans, recipe ideas and daily support and mentoring. Tara's workouts are a combination of cardio and resistance work aimed at using your entire body - think burpees, press-ups, star jumps, Russian twists and crunches - but as I said only for 12 minutes!
Within 21 days Tara promises to help you lose inches, melt fat and of course get fitter. And it works - she helped me lose almost 3 stone last year.
But I have to admit I have let my activity levels dip recently and so to kick-start my exercise routine again - and firm up those shy, wobbly areas in time for a dip in the pool this summer I am taking Tara's expert advice once more!
Here are her top 10 express tips to summertime fabness and fitness:
1. Lift weights and ditch the long slow boring cardio, this will rev up your metabolism, change your body shape, burn fat ..oh and save you time!! More relaxing in the sunshine then!
2. Ditch sugars & starches: these are the enemy of fat burning! Focus on meals balanced with lean protein, non-starchy veg and fibre.
3. Sleep: Lack of sleep can make you eat more, have cravings and choose unhealthy foods
4. Sprints: Awesome for toning your core and boosting fitness. A Lot more enjoyable than the boring slow stuff.
5. Chill out: the stress hormone cortisol encourages belly fat. Have a long hot bath or relaxing walk to help keep fat storage at bay.
6. Make healthy spritzers. Blitz frozen raspberries or blueberries into some water for a refreshing, alcohol free summer drink...oh and serve it in your best glasses too!
7. Do HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training: Defines the whole body and increases your fat burning for up to 36 hours
8. Swap coffees for green tea. Yes a morning coffee can be awesome (especially black with coconut oil in, first thing in the morning), but green tea is packed with antioxidants and very refreshing.
9. Add a 1 minute blitzer randomly into your day. Try 1 minute of press ups, squat jumps, mountain climbers or burpees. Create that metabolic ripple!
10. Follow Tara Hammett fitness and join her incredible 21 Day Fatloss Programme www.taransformation.com Get Beach ready in 21 days! Programmes have an average loss of 7lbs and 10 inches, up to 1stone and 2 lbs!!
Now that doesn't sound too hard - even for a sofa hugger like me!
So come on girls - let the fabulosity begin!!!
