Where in the WORLD did this summer go? I can’t believe I’m already seeing back-to-school pictures. This was literally the fastest summer of my life. But time flies when you’re having fun, right? 🙂

Besides the fall and football season, summer is my favorite time of year. It’s laid-back and low-key, with a hint of lazy. The days are extra long, and the fruit is SO fresh. (Has anyone else been overdosing on cherries lately? So good!)

It’s easy to get a little lax on our regular routine over the summer months. If you’re a mom, those summer treats are just too tempting, right? (I’d be right there with you; don’t worry.) And even if you’re not a mom, vacation season takes a toll on our good habits. Even the most disciplined human in the world can’t resist a good ol’ Pina Colada! 😉  (Ok, maybe they can…but I can’t.)

We all develop our fair share of not-so-good habits over the summer, and that’s perfectly ok. We’re human. But good news, we’ve got 38 days to kick those bad habits to the curb before the first day of fall. You can do anything in 38 days!

– 8 Bad Habits to Kick Before Fall –

1. Quit staying up so dang late! 
This one is so hard for some us. Moms — I know your “me” time is after the kids are put to bed, but make your “me” time more “sleep” time! I’m one of those humans who can’t function on five hours of sleep, so I make it a point to be IN bed by 10. If you have trouble falling asleep, consider reading a book at night rather than your phone.

2. Don’t eat past 8 o’ clock.
This might not sound very important, but I promise you it makes a big difference. Trying to go to sleep on a full tummy is not ideal. And it’s really not very good for you. Just remember, if you start going to bed a little hungry, your stomach will start to shrink.

3. Don’t drink coffee very first thing in the morning. 
I’ve talked about this before, but last month I completely ignored my own advice. I was chugging ice coffee before my a.m. workouts, thinking it was going to give me extra energy. And I couldn’t, for the life of me, figure out why in the hell I felt weak and nauseated all day long. DUH MATTIE! Hydrate, before you caffeinate. For the past two weeks, I’ve been waiting until AFTER my a.m. workout to drink coffee. And OMG, I’m a brand new me. I have energy, and I don’t feel like I’m gonna vom all day long.

4. Quit buying sweets. 
We’ve got about two months until all the fall goodies are on fleek. Pumpkin bread, molasses cookies, pecan pies… You know, the good stuff. So take full advantage of this time, and cleanse your house of all the sugar shit. There will be plenty to come before you know it! And the less you eat it, the less you’ll crave it when it does come around.

5. Quit putting off getting back in shape. 
I hear this ALL the time during the summer…

It’s so hot right now. I’m just going to wait until it cools off to start walking again.

I’ve just had no time this summer. We’ve been on vacation so much!

Well I get it, I know it’s hot. But there’s quite a few workouts, on just this blog alone, you can do in your nice, air-conditioned home. And if you think you’re busy now, how the heck do you plan to make time when school, meetings, football, and the holidays are back in full swing? There’s no “right” time to get back in shape. Just make the decision, and DO IT! I’ve got you, girl.

6. Stop drinking soft drinks. 
Diet, regular, sugar-free…they are all bad for you. Just cut ’em out. That’s always the first piece of advice I give my clients. Once they cut that out, the pounds just seem to melt off. If you have a serious addiction to soda, and you get frequent, annoying headaches, try stopping for a week and see what happens. You’ll be amazed. <3

7. Quit eating so fast. 
It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to register that you’re actually full. And for fast eaters, that is absolute hell. Try slowing down, and actually take the time to chew your food. You’ll end up eating less because your brain will tell you you’re full before you scarf down everything on your plate. AND you’ll have less gas. (Eating fast causes you to swallow air. And we all know what happens when one swallows air.)

8. Don’t salt your food before you taste it. 
We had this conversation at the dinner table the other night. Salting our food is such a habit. I’ve got it bad. I try my hardest to remember to taste before I salt; because 9 times out of 10, it doesn’t need salt. At all. And the less added salt we put into our bodies, the better.

Photography: Kristin Rottman | Coverup provided by Cabana Life

Remember, habits are meant to be hard to change. They’re formed out of repetitive actions, that slip into our daily routines, without giving it a second thought. It takes some serious intention to change those habits.

You can do this!

Stay fit, friends. Xo

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