5 Tips To NOT Gain Weight This Summer!
Jul 01, 2020
It's pretty common to struggle with your weight during the summer season due to irregular schedules, travel, young kids at home from school or general exhaustion of constantly "trying" to eat healthy! So, I hope the following tips can help you stay on track and still allow you to have the joyful times of the season.
My Top 5 Tips To Stay Fit/Healthy Over Summer:
1. WORKOUT SCHEDULE: Put your workout in your calendar like a doctor's appointment you would not miss. And I HIGHLY recommend it's done first thing in the morning (maybe before the kids wake up), so that there is no excuse later to not do it. We are all too tired at the end of a summer day. If you are failing miserably at getting in your workouts right now, for sure join the Body Zone Challenge starting this month!
2. HOME COOKED MEALS: Commit to eating home MORE than not. Especially with COVID still on the rise in many states, it's not really the time to be eating out too often. My family now does take-out one time/week. That's it. We are still not eating out in restaurants due to COVID. Simple reality, eating home will always mean lower calories and less sodium. Decide on Sundays which day(s) of the week you might want to eat out/order-in and then stick to it! Maybe add it to that calendar with the workouts. A plan always helps you stay successful.
3. LIMIT COCKTAILS: I know it can be fun to have a refreshing cocktail or beer on a hot summer night. But trust me when I say...don't do it EVERY night. If you can limit your drinks to 2-3x/week, I think it's a pretty big win for this season. And it will benefit your waistline more than you realize. Most alcohol puts that layer of fat right around your mid section. Not likely the spot you want it when you are in a bikini. Just sayin' :)
4. TRADE THE SWEETS FOR THE WALK: Huh? What does that mean? Summer is a great time to move a little more after you eat. But I'm not talking about a workout! Too much exercise will cause weight to plateau and we don't want that if you are trying to shed a few pounds. So, how about after dinner you start doing some evening walks instead of grabbing for the dessert. Bring the dogs and certainly encourage the family to join you. It can be a nice summer tradition and it helps you digest that food and feel better. Save the sweets for the weekend instead of every night. I'm telling you....once you have time to digest, you won't be hungry for the sweets.
5. HYDRATE WITH WATER: You likely think you are drinking enough water, but I must tell you...the summer in many place is HOT! Yes, I'm in Austin, TX, so the heat/humidity is pretty tough this time of year. I start my hydration before I drink my coffee! And you should too. I recommend plain old water ;) A carbonated water is fine here and there (make sure it has no added ingredients); but honestly, drinking plain water will mean you drink more of it usually. When your urine is light yellow, you are hydrated! Clear urine might mean TOO much hydration and that is not ideal as well. If your urine is dark yellow, then you know you need to drink more water stat.
I truly think if you can put these 5 simple steps into play then you won't be up 5-10 pounds by September. You don't have to be perfect with the rules, just do your best! And if you start waking up each day feeling sluggish, bloated and exhausted, then let that be your sign you might need to dial things in a bit more.
Keep staying safe my friends! Wear that mask, wash those hands and enjoy your summer.
My Top 5 Tips To Stay Fit/Healthy Over Summer:
1. WORKOUT SCHEDULE: Put your workout in your calendar like a doctor's appointment you would not miss. And I HIGHLY recommend it's done first thing in the morning (maybe before the kids wake up), so that there is no excuse later to not do it. We are all too tired at the end of a summer day. If you are failing miserably at getting in your workouts right now, for sure join the Body Zone Challenge starting this month!
2. HOME COOKED MEALS: Commit to eating home MORE than not. Especially with COVID still on the rise in many states, it's not really the time to be eating out too often. My family now does take-out one time/week. That's it. We are still not eating out in restaurants due to COVID. Simple reality, eating home will always mean lower calories and less sodium. Decide on Sundays which day(s) of the week you might want to eat out/order-in and then stick to it! Maybe add it to that calendar with the workouts. A plan always helps you stay successful.
3. LIMIT COCKTAILS: I know it can be fun to have a refreshing cocktail or beer on a hot summer night. But trust me when I say...don't do it EVERY night. If you can limit your drinks to 2-3x/week, I think it's a pretty big win for this season. And it will benefit your waistline more than you realize. Most alcohol puts that layer of fat right around your mid section. Not likely the spot you want it when you are in a bikini. Just sayin' :)
4. TRADE THE SWEETS FOR THE WALK: Huh? What does that mean? Summer is a great time to move a little more after you eat. But I'm not talking about a workout! Too much exercise will cause weight to plateau and we don't want that if you are trying to shed a few pounds. So, how about after dinner you start doing some evening walks instead of grabbing for the dessert. Bring the dogs and certainly encourage the family to join you. It can be a nice summer tradition and it helps you digest that food and feel better. Save the sweets for the weekend instead of every night. I'm telling you....once you have time to digest, you won't be hungry for the sweets.
5. HYDRATE WITH WATER: You likely think you are drinking enough water, but I must tell you...the summer in many place is HOT! Yes, I'm in Austin, TX, so the heat/humidity is pretty tough this time of year. I start my hydration before I drink my coffee! And you should too. I recommend plain old water ;) A carbonated water is fine here and there (make sure it has no added ingredients); but honestly, drinking plain water will mean you drink more of it usually. When your urine is light yellow, you are hydrated! Clear urine might mean TOO much hydration and that is not ideal as well. If your urine is dark yellow, then you know you need to drink more water stat.
I truly think if you can put these 5 simple steps into play then you won't be up 5-10 pounds by September. You don't have to be perfect with the rules, just do your best! And if you start waking up each day feeling sluggish, bloated and exhausted, then let that be your sign you might need to dial things in a bit more.
Keep staying safe my friends! Wear that mask, wash those hands and enjoy your summer.
xoxo
Kim Eagle
