The best way to get in shape for summer is the same way that keeps you in shape all of the time – stay fit and healthy and you won’t have to exercise and diet for an upcoming summer ever again.

If you’re just after the quick fix for summer, you may not realise the disservice you are doing yourself:

1. Firstly, you’re probably asking for a massive change compared to what you normally do. Change isn’t always easy and a large change in a short time is even harder.
2. Secondly, you’re saying to yourself that it’s acceptable to get stuck into the unhealthy food during winter since you can burn off all the excess fat before summer. Even if you can achieve the latter, it means you’re body is still not being treated well for half (or more) of the year.
3. Thirdly, you’re focusing too much on how your body looks in front of others rather than what you define as appropriate for you (otherwise you wouldn’t be worrying about your revealing summer attire).

Here’s a suggestion for turning these around:

1. Change gradually over the long term. Set yourself some SMART goals and revise them as you go along. Don’t get sucked into choosing the sprint over the marathon.
2. Change your diet for life. Crap food is always going to be crap food and your body will never be at its best when crap food forms a significant part of your diet. Give it the fuel that it needs so that it can better look after you.
3. Change your need to look good in front of others into a need to be healthy for life.

And the best part? By following the second three, you will achieve what you wanted from the first three anyway.