Summer is near and more people will be dressing less to go out and do their daily deeds.  How you feel about yourself will determine what you wear that day and all the decisions you made prior to that could affect how you’re feeling.

Keeping and maintaining a healthy weight is a lifestyle choice that people make while others make it hard for themselves because of what choices they have made over the past years and months.  Take into consideration your daily activities and what you spend time doing during the day.  The habits you have and the tasks you perform may be keeping those unwanted pounds on your body and causing you to feel and look FAT.

Beat these BAD habits to help you get toned this summer:

1.  Smoking – if you’re smoking stop!! Bowling Green just recently passed the no smoking ordinance and we should all be thankful.  Smoking decreases blood flow to the extremities and studies show that smokers have a higher waist to hip fat ratio than nonsmokers.  That means that smokers tend to store more fat around the mid-section and look pudgy.  Fat around the chest and abs is the worst kind because it impedes organ function.

2.  Drinking – Taking yourself down town to get 2 or more drinks after work adds more than 500 calories to your daily calorie intake and can add up to more than 5lbs a month in fat gains.  Instead of meeting work colleagues for drinks, meet for a workout or walk in the park, it will do your body some good.  Alcohol slows the body’s metabolism and increases the body’s signal to store fat.

3.  Stress – figure out what causes stress in your life and DEAL with it.  When you stress out your body releases cortisol in the blood stream and that also signals your body to store fat.  Stress not only adds body fat to your midsection but can also kill you by contributing to stroke and heart attack.  Take a walk or count sheep if need be, you have to decrease stress to be healthy.

4.  Skipping Fruits and Vegetables – eat more fruits and veggies to lose more body fat.  Getting your daily servings increases your fiber consumption which aids in digestion and prevents constipation.  If you’re eating more fruits and vegetables then you are less likely to eat too many carbohydrates and starch.  Carbs and starch are easily converted to fat when not utilized by the body shortly after eating.

5.  Too much Cardio or none at all – just walking and jogging isn’t enough to reduce body fat.  I tell people all the time it is hard to get in shape without doing exercises that actually shape and contour the body.  My suggestion is lift more weights.  Proper weight training adds more lean muscle tissue which burns more calories when you are not working out, plus it is good for your heart.

6.  Not getting H2O – if you’re thirsty you are already dehydrated.  Drinking water is vital to good health because your body can’t function without it.  Knee joints, hip joints, and the spine all need fluid to operate smoothly, without proper hydration your joints can ache and cause irritation.  If you feel bloated all the time, drink more water.  The best diuretic is water.

7.  Watching too much TV – turn off the tube, especially at night.  People who sleep less than 8 hours have an increased risk for storing more body fat.  When the body is tired it will conserve energy throughout the day in order to have energy when and if it’s needed.  If you don’t get enough sleep or exercise your body never releases stored energy (fat) so it just collects on our body and looks terrible

These are just 7 bad habits that could be wrecking your midsection and the propensity of unhappiness you have about yourself.  The first step to looking good and being healthy is body awareness, without knowing your body and being mindful of what you’re doing you don’t stand a chance in this life.

About the author:  David has made physical fitness and healthy living a lifelong quest.  He is the owner of a local fitness studio in Bowling Green.  He holds a M.S. in Excercise Science from WKU and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine. He shares tips on fitness and nutrition on his personal blog at www.dnfitness.worpress.com