Skinny Summer Tips From Bethenny Frankel

Marc Royce

It’s a summer mystery: We have fresher produce and longer days for workouts, so why do we end up cursing the scale this time of year? “Your schedule isn’t as structured in the summer, and it’s full of activities that come with excuses to eat,” says Health’s “Celeb Chef’s Diet Secrets” columnist Bethenny Frankel, author of Naturally Thin: Unleash Your Skinnygirl and Free Yourself From a Lifetime of Dieting. “Summertime can actually be as challenging as November and December,” she says.

But it doesn’t have to be. Here’s how to work summer days to your figure’s advantage.

Get up and get moving (7 a.m.)
Squeeze in a workout like running, vigorous walking, or even dancing in your bedroom. You’ll avoid exercising when it’s hottest out, yes, but you’ll also set yourself up for better choices all day long, Bethenny says. “When you exercise in the morning, not only do you burn calories, but you also tend to watch what you eat during the rest of the day,” she says.

Even a 10-minute routine can do the trick—just add two other cardio miniworkouts later in the day. (In fact, three 10-minute workouts spread throughout the day are just as effective for losing weight and getting fit as one 30-minute workout, according to a study from the University of Wisconsin in Oshkosh.)

Start with something fruity (7:30 a.m.)
Study after study shows eating an a.m. meal is important for staying slim. Make it easy by assembling a fruit salad, packed with filling fiber, the night before. “Eating a juicy fruit like watermelon is like having a long, thirst-quenching drink of juice—but with fiber,” Bethenny says. Just add protein (like nut butter on whole-wheat bread) because a fruit-only breakfast will make your blood sugar spike and crash, leaving you hungry. “Or make a low-fat frittata with veggies,” she says. Eating more protein-rich foods like eggs and limiting refined carbs helps burn body fat, research shows.

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