6 Weight Loss Hacks to Help You Shine All Summer Long
1. Have a “snack break” for your body
Your fitness routine doesn’t have to take hours—incorporating short interval exercises throughout your day can have just as much benefit as longer gym sessions. Remember, just as calories add up throughout the day, so does your physical activity.
Plan your exercise breaks (and leave room for spontaneity): What opportunities are there for you to get your heart rate pumping or to move your body in new but totally natural ways? Whether you’re squeezing in jumping jacks while your food is cooking, cranking out lunges while you’re talking on the phone, pausing for an impromptu dance break while cleaning your house, or opting for a hike with friends instead of happy hour, it’s totally possible to make exercise a fun and easy part of your day.
Keep your heart rate up: The key to burning fat while sneaking in these exercises is to get your heart pumping. That means you’ll need to optimize the small amount of time you spend performing these exercises by going hard and minimizing your rest time in between sets.
We love these easy and convenient “exercise snacks” from the healthy living organization, Blue Zones:
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2. Drink up and slim down
Yep, drinking more water can help you lose weight. According to Healthline, drinking water helps you burn more calories and keeps you fuller longer. And while we all know we’re supposed to consume half a gallon of water per day, how many of us are actually able to meet that goal? Here are a few creative ways to up your daily water intake and slim down:
Drink water before coffee: If you need some motivation, try out the popular new online challenge, “32 Before Brew.” The basic idea behind this challenge is to drink 32 ounces of water (that’s half of your daily water intake) before your morning coffee, and you’ll be set up for success for the rest of the day. When you reach for a cup of coffee first thing when you wake up, you’re much more likely to experience headaches, nausea, and other unpleasant side effects than if you’d had a glass or two of water first. Plus, drinking 32 ounces of water before coffee will push your first cup later into the morning, potentially reducing your total coffee consumption for the day.
Switch to seltzer: If you regularly choose sugary beverages like juices and sodas over water because you enjoy flavor, try switching to a naturally-flavored seltzer water. There are so many brands that make delicious fruit-forward flavors that there’s no excuse not to try them! Our favorite seltzers are the watermelon and strawberry flavors from Waterloo. If you’re looking for a hydrating way to get an extra jolt of energy, try AHA’s mildly caffeinated green tea and citrus flavor.
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DIY watermelon dispenser: Our friends at Hello Glow are helping us all take fruit-infused water to the next level with this DIY watermelon dispenser idea! Follow their simple instructions and you, too, can turn this favorite summertime snack into a healthy water infuser. All you need is a watermelon, serrated knife, spigot & nut, and ice cream scoop! Plus, for some added fruit flavor without the calories, throw a few slices of lime into your watermelon!
3. Try these fun summer activities
One of the reasons we love summer so much is it allows us to do all sorts of fun outdoor activities. While some of these activities require pricey equipment, you can perform others with next to nothing but your own body. Here are some of our favorite outdoor activities that can help you shed calories and build muscle this summer:
- Mountain biking at Cottonwood Valley
- Swimming at Lake Mead
- Dolphin yoga at the Mirage
- Hiking in the Valley of Fire
- Beginner’s group volleyball
Workout together: Group exercise can burn more calories than working out solo since we tend to be motivated by those around us. Plus, doing these activities with friends can help you stay safe. So grab a few friends before trying one of these activities!
Protect yourself: Summers in Las Vegas are no joke. If you plan to spend time outside, recreate like a local and wait until after 5 pm to head outside. Also, be sure to wear a high SPF sunscreen & protective layers, and bring plenty of water.
4. Eat more veggies
Incorporating more veggies into your diet is one of the best ways to slim down naturally. Veggies are rich in fiber, which helps keep you full longer than processed foods—plus, leafy greens like watercress and spinach are surprisingly packed with protein. Here are a few way easy ways to eat more veggies:
Invest in an at-home hydroponic system or a microgreen seed mat for your kitchen counter! These indoor growing solutions don’t require soil or shovels, and you won’t even have to leave the comfort of your A/C to harvest nourishing foods.
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Join a Vegas CSA: Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a great way to support your local farms—and your health! By joining a CSA, you can ensure you’ll regularly have fresh, local agricultural products delivered right to your doorstep. And while Las Vegas may not seem like the most fertile landscape, our friends at Cluck It Farm are defying this misconception by growing healthy, chemical-free produce using regenerative practices. Cluck It offers full- and half-size produce package options—which include everything from peppers to microgreens—delivered to your home every week, making it easier than ever to up your veggie intake.
5. Try intermittent fasting
All bodies are swimsuit-worthy bodies in our eyes, but if you’d like to tone up and slim down fast, intermittent fasting may be worth trying.
Intermittent fasting may seem like a fad, but the concept of fasting has actually been around for centuries, and spans across numerous cultures. Intermittent fasting is based on calorie restriction and meal timing/scheduling. The idea is that by restricting calories for 16 hours a day, your body experiences a variety of benefits including fat loss, muscle gain, and cellular repair. Intermittent fasting has also been proven to help with inflammatory diet-related diseases like metabolic syndrome, obesity, and insulin resistance.
6. Get a little help from a professional
To eliminate stubborn fat that diet and exercise simply can’t tackle, consider contouring your midsection with liposuction. Dr. Pancholi can remove unwanted fat and sculpt a smooth, slim silhouette to help you get that fit “workout look” you’ve always wanted with minimal downtime.
The goal with liposuction is not to simply remove fat—it’s also to shape and sculpt the body into a more aesthetically pleasing and enhanced form. Plus, liposuction can help you feel lighter and more comfortable in your body, which can make exercise more enjoyable. And since you’ll have less fat obscuring your muscle tone, you’ll notice gym results quicker! To combine skin tightening with your lipo treatment, try one of Dr. Pancholi’s favorite body contouring procedures, VASER liposuction.
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Schedule your liposuction consultation with Dr. Pancholi
If you’re looking to go the extra step in getting your body summer-ready, contact Cosmetic Surgery of Las Vegas online or call (702) 363-0240 today. Board certified cosmetic surgeon Dr. Samir Pancholi has over 20 years of experience helping men and women in Las Vegas contour their bodies with liposuction, and would love to help you meet your aesthetic goals.
