Hey Chicks,

Happy Wednesday! I am pumped this week as March is finally here, bootcamps are in full swing and I am officially on countdown to one of my BFF’S wedding in Mexico – 17 days to go! With a little over 2 weeks to go, I am getting myself into the mental and physical state to do one of the things that most chicks – big, small, tall, short, fit or not – dread the most…wear a bathing suit! 

Through a combo of clean diet, lots of exercise and finally accepting my flaws that I can’t do anything about (ie the stretch marks and veins that aren’t going anywhere!), I am feeling the best about myself, inside and out, than I have in my entire life. That said, it is still nerve racking so I thought I would give you chicks who are also heading on a vacation a few tips I use to make sure I am bathing suit ready… with only 2 weeks to go!

Avoid foods that bloat you.

What you eat is 80% of your weight loss results.  Mixed with heat, processed, packaged, salty or sugary foods can make you look and feel like a stuffed sausage in your bathing suit. By eating quality, whole, natural foods like lean proteins, veggies, fruits and unprocessed carbs – and drinking lots of water – you will stabilize your blood sugar, promote easier digestion and avoid water retention.

At 450 calories a pop & a bloated belly, is it worth it??

Dairy, gluten and alcohol can also be huge contributors to lower belly bloat (I also call this the Vegas Belly..that is a different story!) Try cutting them out for a 5 days and see how you feel s this may be something that is affecting you in more ways than you know. Eating clean will also help prevent mood swings so you’ll feel confident strutting your stuff.

Get your High Intensity Interval Workouts in!

Perfect exercises for a high intensity interval workout!

Alot of peeps think that you should be doing long bouts of cardio to get leaner quicker.  This actually can have the opposite effect on some chicks as it can put your body in a state of stress (ie holding onto fat!).  High Intensity Interval training (like what we do in bootcamp!) has been proven to maximize fat loss while minimizing your muscle loss.  Why is that important? The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn while doing nothing so we don’t want to get rid of it!  Try tabatas or interval circuits (1 min cardio followed by 1 min of strength) for 20 min – it is worth it!

Choose a bathing suit that flatters you.

I like a booty short suit and a halter top..Chief Chick Jackie likes a bandeau 🙂

No women is perfect. Even the most fit and toned women still have their self-conscious areas. Like with workout gear, the most important elements are the cut of the suit and the support. Splurge on a higher quality, more flattering bathing suit that works with your body type to accentuate positives like sexy shoulders, fabulous curves and skin tone. Also, make sure it has the right amount of bust support – having the proper “lift” can make you look 10lbs lighter instantly.

Now I am getting my pre Mexico mindset in, my goal is to not gain any weight on this vacation…I’ll let you know my plan of attack in the next post!

Make today fabulous!

Laura, your Head Chick xo