NOW’S THE TIME TO SHAPE UP

NO TIME FOR THE GYM? NO EXCUSE!

Here are some great tips on how you can get “summer ready”. Personal trainer Ricardo Riskalla says you can do an effective workout at home.

“At home you can do body weight exercises that are super safe,” he says.

“To start your journey, on top of daily outside walks, do some push-ups. Another great exercise is sit-ups.”

Ketogenic diet: A similar, but stricter, regimen to the Atkins Diet, this calls for a very low carb intake and high intake of protein or good fats.

But accredited practising dietitian and spokeswoman for the Dietitians Association of Australia Melanie Mcgrice cautions there are multiple versions of this diet and advises high protein over high fat versions.

Cut the treats: The National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey found Australians get a whopping 35% of their total energy intake from discretionary foods – think cakes, biscuits and alcohol – which Melanie says can have a big overall impact.

Portion sizes: Melanie says reducing

portion sizes can be an easy and effective way to reduce your weight as many of us unintentionally overeat.

“People are often eating double what they actually require.”

Intermittent fasting: The CSIRO recently released its Flexi diet, which includes intermittent fasting three days a week with some meal replacement shakes and one day of eating without restriction.

Dietitian and exercise physiologist Gabrielle Maston says it’s a positive diet approach.

Make it count: How you work out can also impact how much you lose, trainer Blake Worrall-thompson says.

If you’re looking to burn fat quickly, it’s more along the lines of intensity than duration.”

Try on your summer clothes: It’s easy to overlook winter weight gain when you can hide it under layers and big coats.

But trying on your swimmers through the colder months can help you face some truths give you some motivation.

Set goals: Gabrielle advises setting “doing goals” that are realistically achievable.

“Make short-term goals which leave you feeling accomplished and feelings of success and then build on those.”