The Daily Balance

So I was ready to gouge my eyes out(as well as the eyes of the person in front of me — MOVE THE DIVIDER up so I can put my stuff down on the belt!) patiently waiting in line at the grocery store the other day and naturally, much like everyone else in the world (come on boys, admit it!) I scanned all the gossip mags. I mean because seriously, my life just wouldn’t be complete without knowing the details of the latest LiLo and Samantha Ronson catfight or whether Brangelina is on the fritz. Anyway, while all of the magazines tried to create their own BREAKING news all of them did share a common headline: SWIMSUIT SEASON. Yes, From US Magazine and OK!, to Fitness, Shape and all the other popular titles, the message was clear – the dreaded swimsuit season will be here before we know it. Of course, most magazines are touting their latest fitness routines, trying to get readers amped up and providing the inspiration we may need to get out butts moving!

Bottom line: there are no SPECIAL diets, secret workouts or magic formulas. The fact of the matter is, if you want to tone up and shed a few pounds, you’ll have to work for it. This means extra time at the gym and watching what you put into your body. Now, this doesn’t mean that we all can’t take advantage of all the great material that originates from swimsuit season! Stuck in a rut? Still fighting your unmotivated, hibernated winter body? Utilize all these tools to your advantage!

Before sharing a list of relevant reading material, I figured I’d share what I’m doing right now (and every other season of the year) to make sure I stay in the best shape I can. (Note: I don’t always do the same thing on EVERY day, sometimes days have to switch up a bit based on machine availability, etc. But this is the basic idea… )

Monday – 40 minutes of cardio, 40 minutes of weight training (core)
Tuesday- 40 minutes of cardio, 40 minutes of weight training (arms)
Wednesday – 40-60 minutes of cardio
Thursday – Rest day, normally and hour of Power walking with my mom in the evening
Friday – 40 minutes of cardio, 40 minutes of weight training (legs)
Saturday- 40 minutes of cardio, 40 minutes of weight training (core)
Sunday- 40 minutes of cardio, or if the weather permits, taking a hike with the Mister

At the same time, I am fueling my body with healthy, fresh food and while I don’t count calories, I’d guess I normally consume between 1500-2000 calories a day (depending on how hard I work out). I’d be happy to share more of what I eat, if anyone is interested. Remember — diet is 80 -90 percent of the battle. Eat right and it will be much easier to reach your goals.

Need a little confidence? Working out and eating right aides in self-esteem, as well.

Swimsuit season can be a tough time for anyone. I know I’ve spent way too much time scrutinizing myself in the mirror and making myself miserable in the process. Wanna know a little secret? NO ONE sees all the flaws that you do. We really are our own worst critics. Think about it, do you look at your friends with a magnifying glass? NO! You are too busy worried about YOURSELF. Chances are, they are also too worried about themselves to notice any of your concerns! RELAX. Take a breath, smile and have fun. You’ll be so glad you did. Why waste a great summer and lose out on making memories with your friends and family because you let your self-confidence get in the way? Next time your friends or family are headed to the beach or you take your kids to the pool – JOIN THEM! You’ll have so much fun, you won’t even notice you’re wearing a swimsuit.

OK, not yellow polka dot, but pretty itsy bitsy! (Image credit: cosmeticsurgerytoday.wordpress.com)

Some helpful links:

Exercises:

Get Your Best Beach Body Ever in 21 Days

10 exercises to get you beach body ready

Burn fat and tone your trouble spots in 4 weeks

Swimsuit Guidance:

Find the Perfect Swimsuit for your Body Type

Swimwear for Your Body Shape

Find the Right Swimsuit

Five Flattering Bathing Suits for Mature Women

What is your favorite way to get ready for swimsuit season? Are you a poolside hottie or a beach babe?

16 Responses to “‘Work It’ – She wore an itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot… That’s right – IT’S SWIMSUIT SEASON”

1. BB said:

   Ahhh, swimsuit season. How do I get ready for it? I run and get a spray tan (seriously, don’t you think a tan makes you look slimmer?)

   Thanks for the tips!

   Posted on April 15, 2009 at 10:26 am | Reply
2. Elina said:

   Oh yeah, swimsuit season! Thanks for the reminder I very rarely go to the beach, but you never know when the opportunity may present itself so why not get in shape, right?!

   Posted on April 15, 2009 at 10:30 am | Reply
3. Run Sarah said:

   You do an awesome amount of weight training! I need to start doing that for my upcoming honeymoon! I just don’t have a gym membership so need to get creative with things at home.

   Posted on April 15, 2009 at 10:38 am | Reply
4. Michelle @ Find Your Balance said:

   Aw, I like the beach much more than the pool. And I find that what I eat plays a bigger role in my weight than the exercise I do. So I still exercise but mostly for my mental sanity

   Posted on April 15, 2009 at 10:42 am | Reply
5. healthy ashley said:

   What a week of workouts!

   And uh-oh! I’m not quite ready for my swim suit!

   Posted on April 15, 2009 at 10:51 am | Reply
6. Positively Present said:

   You’re totally right — there are no magic formulas. If you want to lose weight, you have to burn off more than you put in. It’s that simple. Your workouts sound pretty intense. Just reading about them makes me tired, haha. Good for you though! Keep it up!

   Posted on April 15, 2009 at 10:59 am | Reply
7. Sagan said:

   Do you have an itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini? I want to buy one just so I can sing that song every time I wear it… hehe.

   Love your thoughts on this and thanks for sharing your workout plan! What kind of cardio do you like doing?

   Posted on April 15, 2009 at 11:08 am | Reply
   • thedailybalance said:

     Sagan — I don’t, but I want one for the same reason! Except maybe not so itsy bitsy

     Cardio – The elliptical is my machine of choice, but I also sometimes use the stationary bike. I’m not a runner (SUPER scared about my knees hurting later in life) but I do a lot of power walking and the Mister and I go on lots of hikes in the summer. I also LOVE kickboxing and dance and try to take classes whenever I have some extra time.

     Posted on April 16, 2009 at 10:22 am | Reply
8. Marion said:

   I’ve always wanted a yellow polka dot bikini, too! Sadly yellow is not one of my best colors.

   I don’t really do much for swimsuit season. I suppose my already high fruit and veggie consumption goes up since there are so many more in season, but I don’t spend much time at either the beach or the pool so it’s never been much of a concern.

   Posted on April 15, 2009 at 11:48 am | Reply
9. Kara said:

   I live at the beach, so the pool just doesn’t cut it for me!

   Posted on April 15, 2009 at 11:52 am | Reply
10. Kirwin said:

    I love Jillian Michaels from the Biggest Loser because she’s so hardcore. I download her circuits from her website and do those. I love that there are 3 levels (I’ve never attempted Level 3!) for whatever shape you’re in.

    Last year, I was in great shape, but then fell off the wagon in December. Unfortunately, I’m having a hard time getting back into it. When I do, my workout schedule looks a lot like yours.

    Posted on April 15, 2009 at 12:29 pm | Reply
11. Carolina John said:

    i’m creeping into wetsuit season with the year’s first triathlon on sunday. it’s like swimsuit season, but a little more “grabby”. still, gotta fuel up properly.

    Posted on April 15, 2009 at 2:05 pm | Reply
12. Chloe said:

    Wow! That’s ALOT of weight training – especially core. What do you do for your weight training routine. I’m interested to know how you take 40 minutes and if you take breaks in between sets.

    Posted on April 15, 2009 at 6:55 pm | Reply
    • thedailybalance said:

      Chloe – I do take breaks inbetween sets. For arms I normally do 15 excercises (20 reps – 1 set each) with free weights (I use 8-10 pound dumbbells). Then I do about 6 of the machines (again, 20 reps, but normally 2 sets of these). Legs- I do all of the leg machines my gym has to offer (approx. I do two sets of twenty on each. I take about a 30-60 second break between each set. For core, I do about 25-30 minutes of mat work and the use the captians chair and a few other pieces of equipment to finish off.

      Posted on April 16, 2009 at 10:18 am | Reply
13. Andrea@WellnessNotes said:

    Well, my bathing suit won’t be an itsy, bitsy, teeny, weeny bikini… But somehow the warmer weather and bathing suit season makes me focus on toning a bit more. I have started to focus on strength training more lately, and I can really see a difference. Plus, I feel a lot stronger which makes me feel great! And yes, what you eat makes the biggest difference in how you look.

    Posted on April 15, 2009 at 11:31 pm | Reply
14. FitBuff.com's Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog said:

    Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog Carnival 98…

    Monday is Blog Carnivals Day. A Blog Carnival is basically a collection of articles or blog posts, all relating to a similar subject, that are gathered together for your viewing pleasure. You can quickly and conveniently see a list of Article Titles a…

    Posted on April 20, 2009 at 9:19 am | Reply