Summer Shape Up Tips from Balance Bar Ambassador, Gabby Reece + #Giveaway and Info on 5/21 Twitter Party

Disclosure: I received product as part of a sponsored collaboration with Balance Bar.  However, all views shared are mine and mine alone.

Summer is right around the corner, can you believe it?  With the crazy and long winter we had here in New England, I am so ready for the warmer weather.  But, I am not sure I will be ready for a bathing suit by June 21st?  Will you be?  

"According to a recent survey by Balance Bar, 43% of Americans feel most balanced during the summer! As we’re approaching the first day of summer on June 21st, it’s the perfect time to get outside, enjoy the beautiful weather and start feeling more balanced. To help you feel good inside and out this summer, I wanted to share some great Summer Shape Up Tips from Balance Bar and their ambassador, Gabby Reece.  Gabby's has been sharing tips for staying active and smart eating through blog posts on the Balance Bar site.   If you missed her posts, I wanted to make sure you saw her great summer shape up tips, at they are perfect for busy moms looking to feel and look good this summer.  

As you get ready for summer, including shaping up for bathing suit season, here are some great tips and information from The Balance Project guide and Balance Bar ambassador, Gabby Reece....

• Make it your own: There is not one right way to get it done. There is the right way that works for you. When it comes to eating healthy, find the foods you like and implement those into your daily diet. The same goes for exercise. If you hate the gym then find something outside that is manageable for you. This is not about torture; this is about creating a lifestyle that you can do week after week.

• Watch the calendar: Use summer for motivation to shape up but don’t wait for June 21st. If you wait until summer actually starts, you’ll feel rushed and end up crash dieting or doing a crazy workout schedule. I personally like to keep a calendar in my kitchen and cross off the days as I countdown to bikini weather. The visual reminder – right where you eat – is helpful in keeping you on track.

• Sign up a friend: We tend to be more successful at accomplishing some type of exercise if we have an accountability partner. Solicit a friend and maybe use this as your time to connect. You can train for a 5k together or join an outdoor boot camp; there are a lot more options now that the weather is improving. 

• Plan to snack: Take snacks (like fruit, nuts or a Balance Bar®) wherever you go to prevent mindless eating. If I have an afternoon or early evening workout planned, I make sure to have one of these handy an hour or so before so that I have plenty of energy to get in a good workout. 

• Variety is key: Make as many meals as you can at home so you can control your nutrition. These are some of my favorite recipes,– fresh and full of veggies for springtime! To keep things interesting and fresh at my house, I try to rotate foods. One night I may go for something heavier with veggies and grains, and then the next night focus on proteins. I really try to change up the food and create a great deal of variety.

• Each day is a new chance and it's never too late: If you fall out of your summer shape up routine one day, don’t sweat it. Forgive yourself and move on – and just keep moving! 

To see some of Gabby’s favorite fitness moves, go to http://bit.ly/1HL3eO8 and for more of Gabby’s tips for balancing fitness and a busy schedule go to http://bit.ly/1Qj0pYC.

--SUMMER SHAPE UP TWITTER CHAT WITH GABBY--

And, if you like participating in Twitter parties or are a fan of Gabby's like I am, then you will want to add the Summer Shape Up Twitter Chat with Gabby Reece on  May 19th at 4pm EST to your calendar.  I will be attending the twitter chat and can't wait to hear what Gabby has to say about balancing fitness and a busy schedule, as she and show many others, including myself shape up for summer.  Hope to see you there!

---GIVEAWAY---

Thanks to the kind folks at Balance Bar, one lucky reader will win a fun Summer Shape Up prize pack which includes Balance Bare Bars and a Balance Bar headband.  To enter this fun giveaway, please complete the entries on the Rafflecopter form below.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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More about Gabby Reece:

"As a fitness icon, entrepreneur, author, wife and busy mom of three, Gabby Reece knows a thing or two about the importance of Balance. Named one of the 20 Most Influential Women in Sports by Women’s Sports & Fitness, Gabby has become a role model worldwide regarding fitness, nutrition and well-being.

With a no-nonsense approach that empowers people to take responsibility for their own health, Gabby makes sure that her healthy living advice is rooted in the realities of life. Knowing we all have busy schedules and rarely enough time in the day, her sound advice comes complete with achievable goals that anyone can incorporate into their lives.

Gabby is the founder of fitness regime HighX and she and her husband, world renowned surfer and waterman Laird Hamilton, share workouts, recipes and daily inspirations for creating Balance in life at gabbyandlaird.com. 

Connect with Gabby on her website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 Disclosure: I received product as part of a sponsored collaboration with Balance Bar.  However, all views shared are mine and mine alone.