Last-minute tips to hone your beach body

Now a short preface on this article is needed: these are not strategies I would employ on a long-term basis for a client's progressive health and wellbeing. However they are very effective at getting you looking noticeably better in only a few short weeks. And as time is obviously short here, let’s cut to the chase…

Now you no doubt would have read many a newspaper column telling you how carbs are evil and they are the sole reason in making you fatter. Let’s put this straight: carbs are an essential part of a well balanced diet and are the number one contributor to readily available energy in the human body.

Too many carbs, especially in those who are not highly active, can make you fatter if they push you over your maintenance calorie level. Eating more calories than you burn is what makes you fatter (if we boil it down), whether they come from protein, fat or carbs.

Now the reason why we are going to reduce carbohydrates before you go away is fairly simple. The more carbohydrates you eat, the more glucose you’ll have in your system. The more glucose and glycogen you have in your body, the more water that your body will store. This can make you feel puffy and bloated.

If you reduce the carbs in your diet (and replace the calories with protein and fat so you don’t starve yourself) then you will have less glucose/ glycogen in your body and you will hold on to less water. This will give you the look and feeling of being leaner… which is a win before you hit the beach!

Now most people when trying to drop a few pounds before they jet away turn to the treadmill and throw a couple of extra runs into their routine. Whereas this is certainly good for a calorie burn and getting you fitter, it might be more beneficial to throw in some circuit training instead.

This means performing basic resistance training exercises, for fairly high reps, in a near continuous fashion with not a lot of rest!

Doing this style of exercise not only gives you an increased calorie burn through a higher EPOC effect (post exercise oxygen consumption), it also helps to deplete your muscles of stored glycogen.  

And as we mentioned earlier, the less glycogen you have, the less water you hold onto and the leaner you look and feel.

Now a lot of people think that if you dehydrate yourself you might look leaner.

I think this comes from a touch of “Chinese Whispers” passed down from the bodybuilding community. In fact, it is the complete opposite.

If you cut water in an attempt to look leaner, chances are your body will think you are going into a period of “drought” and will hold onto any water it can.

So my advice would be to do the opposite and to drink more than you normally would: a good indicator is to attempt to drink 0.04litres of water per kilogram of your bodyweight. 

Take the time now to work it out… go on, get your phone out and type it in! It means a 60kg women should aim for 2.4litres a day whereas a 90kg man should target 3.6litres. These are your yard-sticks so see where you should be depending on your weight.

What you will find is that you not only go to the bathroom a lot, but you will also feel lighter, less puffy and have less water retention! You might want to make sure you get an aisle seat on the plane over though…

Now there are always a few things we can do to make the most of ourselves. And this goes for guys and well as girls.

Try getting a little tidy up at the barbers, maybe even do a bit of body-hair grooming/ removal before your trip. Maybe even venture to a tanning salon and get a cheeky spray before you go away… and if you don’t have the bottle for that, many high-street chemists do a body lotion with a hint of natural tanner that will give you that healthy glow.

Little things like “man-scaping” and a bit of colour are the oldest tricks in the book for a two-second makeover! Use them to good effect and you will look like you have just got back off holiday before you go away…

Most people look forward to their holiday for the best part of the year! Follow these last minute tips to make sure you look your best and that your Instagram feed makes everyone jealous for the right reasons. Bon Voyage!