How to get and keep your bikini body

1. Hydration

This always gets drummed into us, with the usual recommendation of "8 glasses per day". Different conditions require different amounts though. Mid-winter in Sweden vs Summer in the tropics - totally different needs. As an indicator, have a peek at the colour of your urine. It should ideally be a pale yellow to clear. If it's rather yellow, up your intake. Adequate water intake helps to regulate our appetites, and it is really easy to misinterpret hunger for actual thirst. I love to start my day by "drenching" my body with 1 litre of water. Your digestive system is at its emptiest in the morning and this has a nice flushing effect.



2. Find a Way of Eating most suited to you

So many "Current Trending Diets" out there. I actually don't even like to use the word "diet" as it implies restriction. When you find the style of eating that works for you it is not about restriction, it is about nourishment and sustainability. We should feel satisfied physically, mentally and emotionally from the food we eat. The physical, mental and emotional are all interconnected. When one is out of balance it affects the others.

Cravings are big here. We might think that cravings are a mental and/or emotional thing. Often they are actually a result of an underlying physical need, i.e. unstable blood sugar levels or nutrient deficiency. Craving chocolate around that time of the month? That's your body letting you know it wants some more magnesium. Correct the physical and the mental/emotional often resolves too.



3. Identify and resolve any food allergies or intolerances

Feeling "puffy"? Rings cutting off circulation one day but not the next? Poop sticking to the bowl? These are all indicators that there is some level of inflammation happening in the body. Often as a result of what we have consumed. I suggest keeping a food diary for a week, noting foods eaten and any symptoms if they occur. This can really help you to tune into your body that little bit more and identify any common triggers. When we have inflammation in the body, we tend to hold onto water. Think of a blister on the outside of your body...the water/serum helps to protect the underneath layer and helps it to heal. It can be really hard to lose excess weight with an inflamed digestive system.



4. You don't have to count calories, but calories do count

Here I am referring to the types of food you choose to eat. Eating 2000 calories worth of good fats, veggies, and proteins will have a huge difference in how you look and feel compared to eating 2000 calories worth of Big Macs. If you want to look and feel like a million bucks, don't eat from the dollar menu.

It really is a shame that healthy, whole foods are way more expensive than processed foods. But it is what it is, at least for now, and I choose to spend less other things so that I can afford the foods I want. Macadamias - I'm looking at you. Yum!



5. Sleep

In similar category to water I reckon, we all know we should be getting our 8 hours per night. But do we know why? When I know the reasoning behind what I am doing I am more likely to follow though. Insufficient sleep is known to cause changes in hormones like ghrelin (which increases appetite) and leptin (which tells us we're full). The result is that sleepy people tend to feel hungry and consume more energy than those who are well rested. Also, when we're tired we tend to reach for the more energy dense foods. The little "quick fix". And if we're feeling a little sooky along with tired, comfort foods seem like the only thing in the world that will make us feel better. Opposite in fact tends to be true.



6. De-Stress

Elevated stress levels cause elevated levels of our stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol inhibits insulin production in an attempt to prevent glucose from being stored, favoring its immediate use. Over time this leads to chronically high blood sugar levels and insulin resistance. Our cells become starved of glucose. Message sent to brain: eat more. So we do. And the excess glucose gets stored as body fat.

You can get your insulin resistance levels tested by having the Hba1C blood test. This test measures your response to insulin over the past three months.



7. Exercise

Exercise. Is. Awesome. Helps your mood, steadies blood sugar levels, improves insulin resistance, tones the bowel, regulates appetite, releases endorphins. I love exercise...to a degree! I love yoga and I love surfing. Find things you enjoy that also keep you moving. Ideally at a level of intensity suited to where you are at. If you are a bit stressed out and adrenally fatigued doing Bikram 5 times a week may be what you want but it is the opposite of what youneed (I speak from personal experience. Bikram yoga 5 days a week, couldn't loose a gram. Cut back massively, rested, did a weight loss protocol, felt the best ever. And developed a six pack for the first time in my life).



8. Thyroid Health

Our thyroids play a huge role in our metabolism. Hypothyroid (underactive thyroid) being one of the biggest underlying causes of inability to lose weight. There are lots of different mechanisms that need to be working for us to have healthy thyroid function.



Often getting back a test result of TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) within range will come with the tick from the doctor that you're all good. But there is much more involved to it. Levels of TSH, T3 (triiodothyronine), T4 (thyroxine) and TPO (thyroid peroxidase antibody) all need to be evaluated to understand where your thyroid is truly at. You can do a little at home assessor by tracking your Basal Body Temperature for a few days. If it is consistently under 36.5 C you most likely have an unhappy thyroid.



9. Intermittent Fasting

I'm a fan of "intermittent fasting". I am also a fan of eating every day! Michael Mosely popularised the "5:2 diet": 500 calories on two non consecutive days of the week, regular eating the other five. Works for some. For others they often comment they tend to overdo it quite a bit on the regular days. You can achieve the same results if not better by fasting for 12 - 16 hours each day. May sound like a stretch, but remembering point 5 we are going to be aiming to sleep for 8 hours per night. So two hours either side and you have 12 hours right there. Think of it as having an 8 - 10 hour "eating window" during your days.



10. Dry Skin Brushing



I'll end with a simple one. Dry skin brushing. This one is great for removing dead skin cells and giving you a nice healthy glow. It also increases circulation to your skin, which encourages the elimination of metabolic waste. And with its stimulation of the lymphatic system it helps to release toxins acting as a powerful detoxification aid. Plus it may help to reduce the appearance of cellulite by softening any hard fat deposits beneath the skin and distributing them more evenly. Winning! ...when trying to re-make it a habit I put a little post-it note on the shower door so I will see it before I get in. Remembering once you're already wet is a bit late for dry skin brushing. ;-)

Facts about Bikini Waxing

1. It gets easier.
“I wish people knew that the service becomes easier and easier with every visit. I think sometimes people hesitate to try it or don’t continue with it after their first service because they are deterred by pain. After the first one, it is so much easier and only gets easier from there.”

2. Do NOT trying waxing for the first time when you’re pregnant.

“If you wax before you are pregnant, you can continue to wax throughout. I have waxed many women the day or week before [their] due date. Guests like to get waxed as close as possible to delivery, as they will not be able to get another wax until their doctor clears them. I encourage anyone even trying to get pregnant to start waxing now. It becomes very challenging to tend to the area as you grow, and hair becomes thicker during pregnancy due to hormonal changes. We do not encourage guests to start waxing for the first time during the third trimester. It’s something that should have been started earlier.”

3. Watch out for these red flags at your waxing parlor.

“An area behind a curtain, as opposed to private room for waxing — if the space is not a priority then the technique is not either. Double dipping sticks, a dirty room or wax pot [and] no gloves.”

4. It’s OK to get a wax on your period, but... 

“It’s all about sticking to a schedule, so if your reservation falls during your cycle, you should still get your wax. I would not recommend your first wax during your period as it will make the experience more uncomfortable, but during the year it is bound to happen. Just wear a tampon and let your wax specialist know.”

5. The long terms effects of waxing down there are worth the pain.

“Hair will always become finer, softer and more sparse with waxing. The degree and speed of those results vary by the individual. I’ve had guests that have seen fifty percent hair reduction in three or four visits; for others it may take more time.”


6. The type of wax you use matters.

“Hard stripless wax is the only way to go. Honey wax is a thing of the past — it’s messy and too hot and can really damage the skin. Not to mention, it hurts a lot more.”

7. There IS a way to make waxing less painful.

“You can certainly take an Advil if you’d like, but the best thing to do to reduce pain is to stick to the schedule. The hair should be not too short [or] too long. Oh, and try to stay relaxed. Talk to your waxer to distract yourself and keep your muscles as relaxed as possible.”


8. Don’t workout right before or right after a wax.

“[Sweat] may interfere with the wax adhering to the hair. Working out right after may cause an adverse reaction to your freshly waxed skin. We recommend waiting 24 to 48 hours [before hitting] the gym, especially if you are new to waxing. You want to keep the area clean to avoid irritation.”