We’ve had a beautiful last couple of weeks here in Myrtle Beach with temperatures in the upper 70’s, and that has us excited about beach season! Weekends spent lounging on the beach with friends and family are right around the corner. But, the question is: Is your body ready for beach season?

Like most people, you may have packed on a few unwanted pounds during the winter. It’s time to get your butt in gear, hitting the gym and cleaning up that diet.

We came up with a few foods you should avoid in your quest to get that body beach ready. We also added a few diet tips to help you along the way.

Chips
You know what’s worse for your beach body then binge watching Netflix on the couch? Binge watching Netflix while stuffing your face with a bag of chips! It’s always so tempting to grab a bag of your favorite salty or cheesy snack and crunch away while catching up on your favorite show. The only problem is you’re piling calories into your body. Before you know it, that bag of chips is empty and your stomach is loaded with 20 ounces of crunchy goodness.

Snacking while watching TV is one of the biggest issues we see in our clients who are trying to lose weight. Next time you decide to bing on TV, grab some carrots and some humus. Also, try portioning your snacks into baggies or bowls so you aren’t consuming mass quantities at a time. Follow this trick, and that stomach will be ready for your bathing suit come beach season.

Breakfast Bars
It’s says “protein” or “all-natural” on the packaging. We get that a lot from people who are confused why they aren’t losing weight. It’s easy to want to grab a granola bar, Pop-Tart or other kinds of breakfast bars for a quick breakfast on the go. The only problem, those bars are loaded with fat and sugar and will not sustain you throughout the day.

We always recommend eating a protein-packed breakfast for the morning. Instead of reaching for the bar in the morning, make some extra time to cook eggs or even some oatmeal. If you can, avoid instant oatmeal with flavoring and go with either old-fashioned, or better yet, steel-cut oats. Add in some fresh fruit and you have a great breakfast to start the day.

Fast Food
It’s been a long day at work and your dreading having to make dinner for the family when you get home. All the mothers out there can relate to this. Instead of driving by the McDonalds, you pull through the drive through and purchase four value meals. Just like that, your dinner problem is solved.

You know what problem was not solved? The goal of you looking good in that bikini this summer – that’s what. We often hear people resorting to fast food instead of making a home-cooked meal. Fast food will derail your diet fast (no pun intended). Did you know that an average McDonalds meal adds up to more than 1,200 calories and 50 grams of fat?

Instead of derailing your gym workouts with fast food, make the time to cook meals at your home. We suggest meal prepping. It’s an easy way to have all your meals ready for the week. If you’re the type of person who doesn’t like eating pre-cooked food, look up some crockpot recipes. There are some great ones out there.

Coffee Drinks
Think twice next time you head to Starbucks and order that Frappuccino or Latte. Did you know they can total more than 500 calories each, in addition to a heaping amount of sugar.

We get. We love our coffee as well, so it’s hard to just kick the coffee drinks all together. If you are craving, go with one of the light options at half the calories.

Alcohol
Ok, so it’s not a food, but we thought we should talk about it. Warmer weather is here, so that means more casual drinking with friends. Alcohol is nothing more than empty calories, so if you’re aiming to look your best this summer, we suggest cutting out the drinking. If you do still want to have a drink or two, try a vodka and water and add a splash of club soda or a few drops of MiO.

If you want to jumpstart your diet and are looking for some healthy meals, we offer Pump Cafe at Core Fitness. Pump Cafe is a full-service meal provider where you can order vegan and paleo meals and snacks. Check out all the great meal options here.

Now that you know what foods to avoid in your diet, it’s time to put the work in at the gym. At Core Fitness, we offer a number of different exercise programs to help you reach your fitness goals. Whether it’s group training or personal training, we can help you get ready for the beach. Click here to see all the programs we offer.