Happy Tuesday, everyone! Today, my Twitter friend @premedprepster is guest posting to share some rules for springing back into shape for summer! It’s getting time to bring out the shorts and the sundresses and get rid of those pesky winter lbs., thank you savory Christmas pies and Valentine’s Day chocolates. I asked Kerry to guest post after seeing her tweets about successfully slimming down in a healthy way (emphasis on healthy, no crash diets allowed!). A lot of people talk about going to the gym (I can be guilty of this just as much as anyone) but Kerry didn’t merely talk the talk, she walked the walk…and rocked it! So, without further ado, here is Kerry!

P.S. Share your strategies for a healthful diet and exercise routine  in the comments. We’d love to hear them!

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Hi everyone! I’m super excited to be posting for Lauren today! Lauren and I became friends through Twitter. We share a love of preppy clothes, monograms and Trader Joe’s. Lauren asked me if I was interested in writing a post about nutrition and fitness and I was thrilled to share some of my secrets! First off, I believe that you should eat well and exercise for overall health. Once you start taking care of your body, not only will you feel great but your confidence level will soar!

            I have always been interested in nutrition and fitness, especially because of my food allergies. I am allergic to dairy, gluten, eggs, and citrus fruits. Therefore, I have to be very particular about my food choices. I am a vegetarian by choice. It’s a personal decision and I won’t force my views on anyone! So now that you all have some background about me, I will move onto the good stuff!

            First- cut down on the caffeine and get some beauty sleep. I know we live in a crazy world and we put sleep at the bottom of our to-do list. But notice how I said “beauty sleep?” Sleep is ESSENTIAL for good skin, hair and overall appearance as well as memory, immunity, and muscle repair. It’s the only time that your body can repair damage and recharge. Sleep is also necessary for weight loss. Get a good night’s sleep and you won’t press the snooze button 5 times, skip that morning Pilates class, down 4 diet cokes before 2 pm and eat that container of peanut butter cookies that you don’t even really like. It’s a vicious cycle. We sleep four hours, drag ourselves out of bed and run to Starbucks. We over caffeinate all day and then when it’s finally time to sleep, we’re too crazed to even sit down. So take a moment and think about the last time you slept for 9 hours straight. If you can’t remember, get off Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest and get some shut- eye!

            Second- Eat as natural and clean as possible. FRUITS AND VEGETABLES- Eat them. Eat lots of them. Not only will you get the vitamins important for health and immunity, you’ll lose weight! Replace cookies with carrots and hummus. Replace chips with fresh watermelon and cantaloupe. Throw out that white bread. White flour will do nothing for your body. Whole grains are where it’s at! Make sure to drink milk, eat yogurt or cheese. Calcium is important (especially for us girls!) Basically, your diet should be balanced. It’s soooooo easy to eat all carbs, but try to sneak some protein and veggies in there too!

Third- Stop making excuses. I cannot stand it when people tell me that they “don’t have time” to go to the gym. How much time do you spend texting and on Facebook in one day? Cut that time in half, and you can fit in a workout! Start by walking for 20 minutes, 3 days a week. Before you know it, you’ll be running 6 miles, 5 days a week! Start small, but do your best. No excuses. “The only one who can tell you ‘you can’t’ is you. And you don’t have to listen.”

That’s basically a summary of my health and fitness beliefs. I could write about 20 more pages, but I don’t think Lauren wants me to put her readers to sleep! Read Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. It will change your life. Buy kale next time you go food shopping. Take the risk. Trust me, it’s a game- changer.

Questions? Follow me on Twitter- @premedprepster.

For extra inspiration