Although our warm summer months have faded into a sunny memory, we all know summer bodies are made in the winter. Even though it’s tempting to give in to the treats and sweets that are a hallmark of the winter season and put your exercise schedule into hibernation for a few months, failing to work on your health and fitness during the winter will only result in disappointment when summertime rolls around.

However, while it definitely requires continued motivation and effort, achieving your ideal summer body doesn’t have to be as hard as you think. Since we are fully aware that no one wants to commit months and months to building their perfect body, here are a few tips and tricks to help you achieve your ideal summer body, fast.

Create an Exercise Plan

It’s a well-established fact that regular exercise is good for more than just controlling your weight. Exercise can help combat disease, improve your mood, boost your energy, and even promote better sleep at night. Exercise is also essential to burning fat and improving muscle tone, which is crucial to creating a picture-perfect summer body.

If you want to shed those excess pounds, it’s important to incorporate a healthy mix of cardio and strength training, both of which will help to optimize your fat-burning capabilities and boost your metabolism. Find out which exercises work best for your body through a little trial and error, and then create a personalized plan for your weekly exercises. Creating a plan ahead of time will make you more likely to stick to it and beat those urges to skip the gym. Follow through with your exercise regimen and you’ll be on the way to your perfect summer body before you know it.

Focus on Good Foods

Research has proven time and time again that exercise is not enough to effectively lose weight. To put it simply, exercise alone simply does not expend enough energy (or calories) to lose a significant amount of weight. Therefore, exercise needs to be combined with a healthy diet. Normally, incorporating a healthy diet can happen gradually, without cutting out all of your favorite foods. If you’re trying to lose weight fast, however, you’re going to have to embrace a more exhaustive diet reform. Try to eliminate most sugars and starches, as they cause your body to secrete insulin, making it more difficult to shed fat. Instead, focus on an even balance of protein, fat, and vegetables in every meal. However, it is also important to remember that you should listen to your body. If you are feeling a constant sense of hunger, try to incorporate healthy starches into your diet, such as quinoa or sweet potatoes. A healthy balance of keeping your body well-fed and eliminating unneeded calories will show you the results you are searching for in no time.

Buy Your Summer Clothes Now

Even though you are probably stocking up on plenty of sweaters and scarves to cuddle up in during these long winter months, investing in a few items of summer clothing will give you a concrete goal that can help to motivate your exercise plans during the winter.

Make sure you buy the clothes in your size, as they are not meant to act as a torture device if you’re unable to reach your ideal body goals. Instead, they are simply supposed to keep your summer bod on your mind and encourage you to embrace healthy living, even during the months when it’s so difficult to stay on track. Boutiques such as Amazonas 1974 offer amazing options for fun and playful bikinis that will definitely remind you to trade in your nightly dessert for a steaming cup of tea. If bikinis aren’t your style, you can opt for a slimming one-piece. Whatever you prefer, including a summer staple in your winter shopping will help to keep you honest when you’d rather gorge yourself on delicious Christmas desserts.

Drink Water

Water is the best thing you can drink regularly to promote healthy bodily functions, but it can also be helpful for achieving your perfect summer bod. Not only does water hydrate your body, which can help the metabolism burn calories more efficiently, it can also give you a feeling fullness that can contribute to weight loss by preventing unwanted snacking or binging.

Studies have shown that drinking a glass or two of water before each meal can help you to feel more full, which will, in turn, cause you to consume fewer calories. In addition, opting for water instead of sugary drinks like juices or soda will significantly lower your overall daily calories, effectively contributing to your weight loss.

Author Bio: Rose Smith is a freelance writer and fashion enthusiast based in Los Angeles, CA. In addition to her full-time job as a buying consultant for small boutiques, she also writes fashion advice blogs that have been published across a number of digital platforms. In her free time, she takes her dog running along the Malibu coast.