We recently commissioned a study that revealed the average Brit will go on a health kick precisely 53 days before their summer holiday. Meaning many of us will be starting our pre-summer workout this month!
With this is mind our Mindful Chef founder and nutritional coach Myles, has shared his 6 tips for getting in shape this summer.
If you are looking to shape up for summer, get a head start with a healthy Mindful Chef recipe box.
1. Coffee Swap
If you’re a coffee lover like me, go for the black stuff. There are 190 calories in a Starbucks latte including 18 grams of carbs and there’s hardly any in a black coffee.
2. Meal Prep
Whenever I am out at meetings all day, it’s generally when I eat the worst. Sandwiches are not the best way to shape up. I cook an extra portion of Mindful Chef the night before, pop it in a tupperware and take it with me. It takes no more time, tastes delicious and is really healthy too.
3. Mental Health
Getting in shape mentally, is just as important as getting in shape physically. I like to use apps like Headspace or content from sites like LuLu Lemon, to really help improve my mental health.
4. Hungry for seconds?
Wait before going back for seconds, it can take roughly 20 minutes for signals to get from your stomach to your brain to tell your body that you are full. If I am still hungry I might go for a piece of fruit or a small handful of nuts – instead of eating tomorrow’s lunch!
5. Mindful Eating
When eating dinner try not to get too distracted. Things like watching TV can affect your appetite cues and your body won’t realise when you are actually full.
6. Cracking Snacking
If am shaping up, snacks are where I always fall down if I haven’t prepared. I like to make overnight oats or I will just throw some fruit and nuts into a bag.
Shaping up for summer? Mindful Chef recipe boxes provide you with the tools to cook delicious nutritious meals, in under 30 minutes. Each box contains recipe cards, pre-portioned ingredients and fresh meat, fish and produce sourced from small award-winning British farms.
See below for the full research findings from our Shape Up For Summer study:
Do you intend to try improve your health and fitness before you go on holiday this year?
Yes – I intend to – 20.00%
Yes – I’ve already started – 28.20%
Maybe -18.90%
No – 16.00%
N/A – not going on holiday – 16.90%
How many hours of exercise a week do you plan to do to get in shape for your holiday, on average?
0-1 -11.18%
2 -12.89%
3 – 16.62%
4 – 15.95%
5 – 15.50%
6 – 8.20%
7 – 7.90%
8 – 3.35%
9 – 0.52%
10+ – 7.90%
AVERAGE : 4.37 (4 hours, 22 minutes)
Do you intend to try improve your health and fitness in time for the summer this year?
Yes – I intend to – 19.75%
Yes – I’ve already started – 35.85%
Maybe – 20.95%
No – 23.45%
Thinking about when you do start to think about getting in shape for summer – what reasons prompt you to do so?
Getting out my summer wardrobe – 42.85%
My friends keep talking about doing it – 9.47%
My colleagues keep talking about doing it – 8.49%
The hotter weather so you start to wear more revealing clothing – 44.81%
The countdown to my summer holiday has started – 24.82%
The temperature increases so you start eating lighter/more summery recipes – 39.91%
Summer/health focused advertising e.g. gym promotions – 6.73%
The days are longer so less excuse not exercise before or after work – 26.00%
Other – 6.34%
How important do you think it is to be to get into shape before your holiday?
Very important – 20.46%
Somewhat important – 52.77%
Not very important – 18.11%
Not important at all – 8.66%
To those who said yes, did you manage to get into shape for the summer or your holiday?
Yes – 70.14%
No – 29.86%
In general how long before summer or your holiday do you start to get into shape? (on average, in weeks)
1 – 3.33%
2 – 3.77%
3 – 4.99%
4 – 11.73%
5 – 7.09%
6 – 14.10%
7 – 4.29%
8 – 13.84%
9 – 1.05%
10 – 7.09%
11 – 1.05%
12+ – 27.67%
AVERAGE: 7.58 (53.06 days)
What do you consider to be the best form of exercise to help you personally get in shape?
Cycling – 23.20%
Running – 26.35%
Weights – 20.25%
Rowing – 7.25%
Boxing – 4.25%
Tennis – 5.05%
Football – 5.65%
Rugby – 1.80%
Spin – 3.35%
Swimming – 30.30%
Walking – 50.30%
Yoga – 8.75%
None / don’t know – 12.85%
Other – 5.55%
Do you intend to make positive changes/improvements to your diet ahead of summer/going on holiday?
Yes – definitely – 35.65%
Maybe – 38.05%
No – 26.30%
Would you like to lose weight ahead of the summer/ you holiday?
Yes – 67.10%
No – 32.90%
How much weight do you hope to lose in time for summer/going on holiday? (in lbs)
0 – 0.16%
1 – 1.63%
2 – 2.12%
3 – 2.20%
4 – 4.48%
5 – 7.91%
6 – 6.68%
7 – 11.98%
8 – 5.87%
9 – 1.39%
10 – 12.31%
11 – 0.57%
12 – 3.99%
13 – 0.41%
14 – 14.10%
15+ – 22.82%
N/A – don’t intend to lose weight – 1.39%
AVERAGE – 9.89
Are you motivated to get in shape because you know the friends or family will be doing the same?
Yes – very much – 12.22%
Yes – somewhat – 31.89%
No – 33.08%
N/A – I don’t know what my friends/family are aiming to do – 22.80%
Do you tend to eat healthily in the build-up to summer but eat less healthily the rest of the year?
Yes – definitely – 18.15%
Yes – somewhat – 41.70%
No – 40.15%
Do you find it harder to eat healthily in the summer – compared to the rest of the year? (e.g due to increased social activity such as unhealthy BBQs, alfresco drinking, holidays getting in the way of training)
Yes – definitely – 11.40%
Yes – somewhat – 29.80%
No – 58.80%
Compared to the rest of the year, in the summer do your eating habits change in any of the following ways?
Eat more lower calorie foods – 21.85%
Have smaller portion sizes – 21.65%
Eat more vegetables – 33.80%
Eat more fruit – 42.75%
Eat more cold foods e.g. salads – 48.90%
Make more quick-to-prepare foods – 10.05%
Lighter, less filling meals – 22.35%
None of the above – 22.20%
Which of the following have you ever tried when trying to get into shape for the summer?
Joined a gym – 26.27%
Bought clothes which are too small (so I have something to aim for) – 11.73%
Tried an ‘extreme’ diet – 12.52%
Joined a weight loss group – 13.40%
Cycled to work – 11.21%
Walked to work – 28.90%
Joined a sports class – 8.49%
Signed-up for a marathon or other endurance event – 3.24%
Gotten off the bus one stop too early – 7.62%
Stopped drinking – 23.91%
Started bringing your own packed lunches to work – 19.53%
Using a fitness app – 13.13%
Using a diet app – 5.69%
None of the above – 20.67%
Which diets have you ever tried?
DASH diet – 1.60%
Zone diet – 1.60%
Low carbohydrate diet – 11.15%
Paleolithic diet – 2.95%
Low-fat diet – 11.70%
Raw food diet – 3.10%
5:2 diet – 8.05%
Dukan diet – 2.25%
Atkins diet – 6.75%
Paleo diet – 2.10%
Alkaline diet – 0.95%
South Beach Diet – 0.80%
Sugar-free diet – 5.10%
Juice diet – 2.45%
Fasting – 5.60%
None – 54.25%
Other – 34.7%
Thinking about the diets you’ve tried, how long will you typically stick with one for? (in weeks)
0 – 1.64%
1 – 4.15%
2 – 8.63%
3 – 7.21%
4 – 13.55%
6–5 – 13.44%
8–7 – 8.85%
10–9 – 7.32%
12– 11 – 10.93%
13– 16 – 4.59%
17–21 – 2.95%
22– 30 – 4.15%
31– 40 – 1.20%
41– 52 – 1.53%
53+ – 9.84%
AVERAGE – 12.99
Why do you want to get fitter and healthier for the summer?
Feeling body confident on my holiday – 42.13%
Want to fit into my old summer clothes – 33.44%
Being able to exercise outdoors – 18.55%
To feel more confident about myself – 51.60%
To improve my energy levels – 49.12%
To be more productive – 18.29%
To improve my mental wellbeing – 38.67%
To keep up with/run around after my kids – 7.97%
Because I’m getting married in the summer – 1.83%
Because I’m running a marathon or undertaking another act of endurance – 2.48%
The days are longer so less excuse not exercise before or after work – 11.89%
Other – 2.16%