I'm Going to Work Out This Winter so I Can Be Fit for Next Summer - Yeah Right!

Most people say to themselves that they're going to work out during winter season so they can get ready for the summer, but normally they never commit it only to make the same promise to themselves year after year. Of course the reason they want to tone up for the summer is so they can have that beach body. Whereas in the winter they can hide their layers of flab by wearing coats and sweaters.

The holiday season doesn't make it any easier. With Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas dinners, and the lack of regular recreational activity due to cold weather, we feel that building body fat in the winter season is inevitable.

We tend to excuse ourselves from being active in the winter season's which causes us to get lazy, and makes it harder for us to follow any exercise regimen when we make one for ourselves. As a result, we never end up getting ourselves back in shape for the summer. We do not keep our commitment to ourselves and never reach our goals. Then when we finally hit the beach we see many people around us with the bodies that we wish we had. Then we Say to ourselves, "I wish my body was toned up like that."

With that said, we should make an effort to keep ourselves somewhat active through the holiday seasons. Whether it be a short ten minute workout per day with the basic push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, and stretching, we should be doing something so that when it comes time to hit hard, we will be more willing to stay committed to our workout routines. Most of us are guilty of stuffing ourselves during the holidays, and that can be okay, but when it does come time to really start getting ready for the summer our diets should change also.

The diet is just as important if not more important than the workout routine. When we were younger we could eat whatever we want and not gain much weight if any at all. But if you think about it we also had gym class to keep us in shape and without realizing it we were working out at least 40 minutes per day five days a week. The point is that we have to do more now, in order to get to where we want to be physically. It takes discipline, dedication, and determination in our diets and our workout regiments. During the holidays we eat huge plates of food and many of us have seconds and thirds. When we are dieting, that is a no-no. Instead of huge meals we eat small portions, and instead of two to three big meals per day, we should eat five to seven small meals per day. This will help speed up our metabolism. Even eating small meals we need to be smart about what we eat.

When I say we should eat small meals I don't mean that instead of eating a whopper value meal, you should eat their regular hamburger with a small fry. I mean that instead of eating a fat greasy food, choose to eat something healthier such as a sub sandwich. The essentials that we all need in our diets are the things we don't want to eat, either because we do not like how they taste, or because we were forced to eat them as children. That's right, I'm talking about fruits and vegetables. You do not have to eat any fruits or vegetable you do not like. Just choose the ones you like and eat them regularly. The main key here is to not stuff yourself. If you feel full, you've ate too much. When you eat five to seven small portions per day you don't give yourself the chance to feel hungry, and as a result you won't feel the need to stuff yourself.

The same principle applies to drinking. Instead of drinking sodas or beers, you should drink water or even juices. If you must have an alcoholic beverage, try to stick with light beer because alcohol has loads of calories in it. And unless you're out dancing or something (working those calories off as soon as you have taken them in) you don't want to drink too much.

As with most things that benefit you, your diet and workout routine will take some getting used to. In the beginning you may feel that you cannot do it, but you can. Do not make excuses for yourself and don't let yourself off the hook. No one is going to force you and no one is going to help you. Be hard on yourself. If you do it until it hurts, you're making it count as well as making it easier for yourself next time. Go that extra mile and do that extra rep, and you will succeed.