Dear FitSugar,
I am going to Hawaii with my boyfriend and his family on June 4th and I don't have the best body. I'm 5'8, 145lbs, and a size 10. I have pretty thin limbs, but I have way too much fat on my upper thighs, upper arms, tummy, love handles, and back. I have procrastinated and procrastinated and now I am running out of time. I am not athletic at all, have little endurance, and am not very strong. Do you have any suggestions that would help me look a little better in a bathing suit by the 4th?
Thanks!!!
Thanks for the question and let me say, girl you are not alone. I have gotten so many similar questions like this in the past week alone. I wish I could give you the magic answer but the key to permanent weight loss is moderation and lifestyle change. A lot of people do things like the Master Cleanse, but I can't say I advocate this method or losing weight super fast. One thing you can do is start an exercise program asap. This means cardio for at least 30 minutes for three days a week (if you really want results try every day), and you should see results in a few weeks. Since you say you are not athletic it could be that even just ten minutes a day will help too. For those of you who are already relatively active, think about doing 30 minutes every day (or doing 45-60 minutes three times a week).
There are certain eating habits you can curb/start to eliminate bloating through, so read more
Certain eating habits could give you that bloated feeling such as:
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Eating too much salt, or processed foods in your diet - even a small amount of excess sodium causes bloating
- Eating a lot of fatty food
- Not drinking enough water
- Not eating enough fiber
So you may want to start with your eating habits, for immediate but not unhealthy results. Most importantly, have fun! You're going to Hawaii with the man you love and his family. Looking back, you'll really regret it if you spend the whole time worrying about how you look in a bikini. So my advice is do what you can do until you get there and once you get there, realize you've done your best and be proud!
Aloha!
Kit Heath
Eat lots of fiber, drink tons of water and take some diuretics too, if Aunt Flo is coming... Those always help me. Just be careful, your bladder starts to hurt if you take too many of those.
1up your water intake, and definitely get some exercise .. 3-5 days a week you should really push yourself, and the other days try to get some moderate activity.. but like Fit says, you have to make the lifestyle changes if you want to see a big difference!
2I'm about the same weight and height, and I've noticed that, in terms of just looking good, what you wear and how you carry yourself makes a huge difference. In addition to Fit's advice for how to be healthy, I'd try to find a flattering bathing suit (I know a lot of one-pieces are designed to be more flattering to the tummy area). It may cost more to find one that really suits your figure, but since you're self-conscious, it will probably be worth the money. Also, all of our mothers were right when they chided us about good posture--standing up straight makes most anyone's tummy appear flatter!
3Wow, 5'8" and 145 seems kind of small to me...I have found that I get the most results out of running more than any other workout, but I'm not an expert...
4If you still feel that you are not in perfect shape - once you get a nice tan going (hopefully from a bottle first) - it will give the illusion that you are smaller. Plus you can put a cute sarong around your waist and look fab.
5Hey y'all I just wanted to pipe in on diuretics...you should really avoid taking them unless you have a medical condition that requires the use of them. Check out this explanation of the medication from the Mayo Clinic.
6I would up the cardio to 90 minutes 6 days a week if you want to drop weight fast. And try to cut out all the junk food and eat lots of fruit, vegetables, lean meats and whole grains.
7hmm i am about the same weight and height and i went to hawaii in december...i too had a goal of losing weight first but it was just not possible and i still had a blast (of course eating right is always a priority for me now but we all lapse)...TRUST ME just being in beautiful hawaii is a wonderful feeling...try to spend less time worrying and more time being excited for the trip!!
8Wow...being 5'8", if I was 145 and a size 10 (size 10 is my goal, but that means I'll weigh about 155), I'd be crazy happy and wear a bikini 24/7.
For that height, it really is in an acceptable weight range. If you are still feeling too flabby for bikinis, it sounds like what you really meant to say was "how do I convert some of this fat over into muscle" because by all means you are skinny enough.
From my experience, I definitely second the advice above, except for the diuretics....cut out the diet sodas, frozen meals and many prepackaged items (foods high in preservatives are usually high in sodium). If you are going to concentrate on one dietary change, have it be adding more fiber.
Any excercise (walking 30 minutes a day) sounds like it'd be a change from your normal routine, but high intensity interval training done first thing in the morning combined with strength training might be your quickest fix. For the strength training right now, I'd go for one of those pilates DVDs. You can just put it in, you won't have to think and in 20 minutes you are toned. It's going to tone, strengthen and elongate your muscles.
These things all seem like ideal qualities for a bikini ready body!
95'8" and 145 sounds like a really healthy weight range to me! We all have areas that we don't like about ourselves. But if you're really concerned about your weight, up the water intake immediately. And try going on fruits and veggies for a few days if you're used to eating processed foods.
But water water water! It aids in metabolism and helps you feel full if you have problems with portion control. Good luck and enjoy Hawaii!
10Ok forget I said anything about diuretics!! Try ex-lax instead. JOKING!!!!!
11I agree that 5'8 doesn't sound big! And Water water water!!! I guess we're all on the same page then...
12my suggestion if you want to feel a little more comfortable with your body is to do some light-medium cardio everyday, add in some jumping jacks (about 100 or so), arm circles (try to time yourself and get ourself up to two minutes or so), pushups, and situps, into your workout and you will be amazed with the results and how fast you will tone up (but not necessarily lose weight). this was the major core of our boxing team workouts in college especially in terms of training, and can be done on less than an hour! a fun way to do it is to run to certain destinations, stop and do a set or two of each of those, and continue running/walking.
my other suggestion -- get yourself a great bathing suit that you feel comfortable in. maybe you aren't a bikini gal, so try for a cute one-peice or tankini, or a great coverup that you can wear when you aren't in the water. even a big straw hat and some fab sunglasses can make you feel glamorous and gorgeous. but most of all, just remember, you are there to HAVE FUN.
and be sure to wear at LEAST spf 25, cause sunburns are never sexy
13I'm so glad you posted something about the Diuretics Fit! They are definitely NOT the way to go! Along with moderation and exercise (at least 30 minutes a day)... I also agree with looking for a bathing suit that you feel MOST comfortable in. You can never go wrong with confidence! Just think about the AMAZING time you're going to have in Hawaii! It's SO beautiful there!
14Yeah...5'8 and 145 doesn't sound like a crisis to me!
15The classic question that bumps up every spring and summer...
16I am so happy I found this page!!! I am definitely going to try this too. I am so sick of meing lazy and just talking about my weight. I have 9 weeks till my boyfriend's graduating "pool" party, so I am really going to kick it into gear starting today!!! Plus, I am apart of a Chub-Club @ work, and I was in the lead on the last weigh-in, but I haven't loss any more weight, and the next weigh-in is Friday
! I can't let my team down,or myself 
.
17Wow. I printed this page after reading. Great tips guys. I am the same weight and height as this person. Thanks everyone!! I have my brother's wedding in two weeks so this will help a ton. (I going to be a braidsmaid).
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