CULTURE & CUISINE MORE THAN JUST A BIKINI BODY

Once the temps start rising and those “summed bod” ads start consuming our feeds, it can be tempting to restrict calories or take other drastic measures. This may lead to quick weight loss, but that weight loss is both unsafe for your body and unsustainable for everyday life (stats tell us that weight regain is a staggering 80-95%).

If we get off the dieting hamster wheel, we can reframe our version of ‘healthy’ using realistic, sustainable practices that work long-term: lifestyle change and habit formation. The ultimate goals become health and energy, and the added benefit is our physical appearance.

Trust me, small adjustments can add up over time. Don’t underestimate their impact! Here are some changes you can make to start experiencing healthy gains this summer and start feeling your best year-round:

Preparation: Be proactive with nutrition and exercise by having a plan in place before the week begins. What will be cooked? When will we shop? What time will workouts be? Always carry snacks and food with you, protecting your plan from the unexpected. Leaving these fundamentals up to chance is a recipe for disaster.

Perfection no more: Understand that something is better than nothing. Consistent daily walks are more monumental long-term than intense, inconsistent gym visits. Think creatively to get in movement, while the kids are at practice, during a lunch break, or right after dinner.

Protein: Instead of focusing on what you can’t have or eliminating entire food groups, focus on getting enough protein, which is more filling, and naturally causes us to eat less fat and carbs. I personally aim for 1 gram+ per lb. of ideal body weight.

Progress: When studied, those who lost weight and kept it off found a way to monitor themselves. This could be an accountability partner, a tracking calendar, a gym challenge, or a smart scale. Calorie and macro counting can be a great short-term and eye-opening tool.

Perspective: Keeping promises to yourself through habit change builds selfconfidence and helps solidify your identity change—to a healthy person. Remember, weight loss is more sustainable when it’s slow. Accepting that this a long game will take the focus off the scale and a certain timeline. Health isn’t just for the beach, a vacation or special event—it’s for life!

Lisa Davis

Image Contributor, Owner of Image By Lisa

Follow Lisa on Insta @imagebylisa

Licensed Aesthetician, Pro Makeup Artist, and Certified Integrative Nutrition Coach

Beach reads are light, easy, or compulsively readable novels that are perfect to take on vacation

AKA books that you just can’t put down. Here are our suggestions for this summer:

Lessons in Chemistry

by Bonnie Garmus

Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. She's a 1950's chemist, a newly single mom, and the star of a live cooking show! You've definitely seen this book around, and summer is the perfect time to pick it up (especially since it's getting its own show soon)!

Happy Place

by Emily Henry

It's not vacation until somebody spills a secret. It's time for the annual getaway to Maine for this college friend group-- a place where everyone can finally relax with the people who know them best! Or do they? Two college ex-sweethearts must fake it til they make it.

Tom Lake

by Ann Patchett

The best place to tell a story is in the family orchard while picking cherries. Three daughters listen to the life their mother led before them, filled with famous actors, stage romances, and a theater company named Tom Lake. This is a beautiful story of young love, married love, and everything in between. Pre-order this now!

Killing Me

by Michelle Gagnon

Looking for a bit of a darker summer?

This thriller is an absolute dark mess. After ending up at a questionable hotel in Las Vegas, Amber is the latest player in a serial killer's game. She becomes an unlikely heroine with unlikely companions. Vacation gone wrong, to say the least.

The Senator's Wife

by Liv Constantine

Summer scandal alert! D.C. philanthropist Sloane Chase and Senator Whit Montgomery are trying to move on. Unpredictable and power-hungry twists are unavoidable for them though. This is a fast read, filled with love, money, and lots of drama!

Can't Spell Treason Without Tea

by Rebecca Thorne

Daydreaming about bookstores, cafes, and assassins? Yes-- assassins! If it's way too hot outside for you, curl up with this cozy fantasy with cottage-core adventure. If you've ever dreamt of opening your own bookshop with your best friend, this one is for you. It's also one of our book club books!

Violeta

by Isabel Allende

If you haven't read this one yet, now is the time to do so! Reading Violeta is like going through the attic and finding old letters as the sun is about to set. A woman whose life spans a hundred years tells writes a letter to someone she loves above all the others-- and there's been plenty of others. Get lost in her story this summer!