According to my countdown app, (yes I'm counting down), there's about 40 days until school's out and summer starts! While this is very exciting, it also means that finals will be starting soon along with papers and late nights. All of that can be very stressful and stress can lead to weight gain and especially when summer is right around the corner, that is the last thing most people want! Although stressful times are coming up, there are ways to prevent that unwanted weight gain and ways to get into great shape to achieve your "summer body" in no time! Follow my next few rules of thumb to have your goal body in the next 40 days!

1. Drink More Water

One of the most important things to do when trying to lose weight, get rid of bloating or make your abs visible is to drink more water! When you're dehydrated, your body holds on to water, causing you to be bloated and gain weight. So make sure you drink plenty of water every day so that all the water weight you're holding on to will go away!

2. Don't Stress Eat

Like I mentioned before, the end of school means more stress piling up. I know I'm guilty of eating junk or just overeating when I'm stressed and trust me, that's not the solution to a summer body! Instead, try getting your stress out in some other way that doesn't involve food, such as working out, taking a bath, or just relaxing.

3. Get More Sleep

Not getting enough sleep has a direct correlation to weight gain. So this means in order to avoid that, you need to be getting at least 8 hours of sleep at night! This is super important if you want to get into great shape before summer starts! So stop watching Netflix, playing on your phone, or studying until super late and get to sleep earlier!

4. Eat Properly

This one may be obvious, but it is true that abs are made in the kitchen. Don't expect to have an amazing body by working out when your diet is a mess. Try to avoid super sugary or processed foods as much as possible and aim for fresh produce, fruits and vegetables!

5. Don't Over Do It

While summer is only a short amount of time away, it is important not to over do anything at the same time. This has to do with dieting, working out, or anything related to trying to achieve your summer body. Spending hours and hours in the gym will just make you tired and will eventually cause you to not perform as well. The same thing goes with trying to diet too hard or crash diet, because changes are if you restrict too much, you'll just end up having cravings and giving in more often than not.