Now that Memorial Day weekend has ended, many people are beginning to take extra steps to get into shape as swimsuit season draws near.
Whenever the summertime approaches, numerous people rush to get fit and lose some of the excess weight they may have gained during the winter to fit into their more revealing warm-weather wardrobe pieces. However, when they resort to fad diets and extreme exercise, they can get burnt out and exhausted before seeing any lasting results. Luckily, a fitness influencer and content creator recently shared her accessible tips for losing weight before the summertime.
Jenna Evelyn is a fitness influencer and content creator who specializes in lifestyle and wellness tips. Her videos share helpful pieces of health-related advice that encourage her followers to get in better shape safely. Earlier this year, she made a video about the ‘holy grail’ formula she uses to lose an extra bit of weight before the summertime. Her advice can not only help make you stronger but can also make you feel more confident when it comes time to do some more intense outdoor activities.
“If your goal is to lose weight, tone up, [and] build muscle for spring break, summer, whatever it may be, let me give you the holy grail formula that helped me lose 20 pounds, and then for the past few years, keep off 20 pounds,” says Jenna at the start of her TikTok video.
Read more about the three strategies Jenna uses to lose weight before the summer below.
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Pilates & Strength Training Workouts
Jenna prefers to work out five days a week, and her two favorite exercises for losing weight and getting stronger are pilates and strength training. On two of those days, she will use dumbbells to practice strength training, and on three to four more days, she'll do at-home pilates workouts on a mat.
Just because she recommends doing these two styles of exercise does not mean you have to join a gym or take an expensive in-person pilates class. It can all be done at home if you're on a budget or enjoy working out solo.
"There are a ton of pilates workouts on YouTube that I used to do," says Jenna.
"I prefer full body-strength pilates, so I use little three-pound hand weights and ankle weights."
Walking
"If you can aim to get 10K steps a day, you are golden," explains Jenna in her video.
While you can certainly walk outside and get some fresh air to achieve your step goals, Jenna saw herself making even more progress when she got on the treadmill and used incline techniques to burn more calories and improve her stamina.
"Something that helped me shed pounds off my body is incline walking on the treadmill," she added.
Jenna recommends trying the 10-3-30 method on a treadmill, where you set your treadmill on an incline of 10 and walk on it at a level 3 speed for 30 minutes. It's important to note that you may need to build up your endurance before attempting one of these specific incline strategies, but doing as much as you can daily will help.
Improving Your Diet And Trying To Stay In A Calorie Deficit
Health experts and other weight loss influencers have found that eating in a calorie deficit is one of the best ways to shed pounds and see real progress. If you are comfortable with the idea of keeping an eye on your daily caloric intake, do your best to eat a balanced diet full of nutrient-dense foods and include some of your favorite food items while staying in a healthy calorie range.
"That is the key to losing weight," explains Jenna.
"I try my best to eat [well] for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if I can."
Jenna also admitted that she's a "junk food junkie" and tries to incorporate her favorite takeout or fast food meal into her diet every once in a while to maintain a manageable balance. Additionally, she suggests upping your protein intake and looking into swapping out higher-calorie foods in your diet for lighter options.
"If you're consistent, those three things will help you lose weight and tone up," says Jenna at the end of her video.
