Summer Always Starts With Good Intentions
The weather gets warmer, the sun is out more, and there is a sense of excitement in the air. If you are like me, you probably start your summer with good intentions. You think about the delicious satisfying salads that you will eat while losing weight and feeling fantastic.
Flash forward a few weeks or months into the summer, and you find that all of these good intentions seem to be fading away. All the healthy habits that you planned on building over the summer have not materialized. What is going on here? Should not summer be an easy time with it’s bountiful fresh vegetables and fruit?
Summer Has Its Own Challenges
The reality is that summer presents it’s own challenges. We have patterns of behavior and habits that we associate with summer that can easily sneak back in even if you have been very on track and focused with your weight loss.
Never fear. When you know what the challenges are, you can address them. With preplanning you can absolutely enjoy yourself but still find it easy to stick to your healthy eating and lose weight.
Challenge #1: Its Time to Celebrate!
I live in northern Canada and so there is a big difference between our winters and our summers. When the first warm nights start, it feels like everything should go by the wayside in order to enjoy them. This air of celebration can result in overeating and eating foods that you didn’t plan. And because there is a sense of scarcity of how many nice summer days there will be, you can end up with a lot of days where you overeat in celebration.
Challenge #2: All of The Routines Go Out The Window.
Successful long-term weight loss depends on developing routines that work for you in your life. With summer, comes significant changes to your routine. You may be working less as you have more vacation. If you have kids, they are no longer in school and are around more or may be in different activities. When you are at work, you may be working longer hours to compensate for other physicians’ vacations.
Challenge #3: More Time Spent Traveling Or Camping
This will be different depending on where you live and your current COVID situation. However, often summertime means more time away from home. It can put you in situations that you are not used to and where you may not feel as much control over your food. It also can enhance that feeling of celebration which results in overeating because you are on vacation or away from your normal environment.
Challenge #4: Summer Drinks On Patios
If you drink alcohol, you may find that in the summer your alcohol intake increases. There is often more socializing and more relaxing in the sun involving drinks. The energy content of alcohol can mean your weight loss slows but more importantly, alcohol lowers your inhibitions around food. Even after 1 drink, you may find yourself making food choices that you hadn’t planned or would not have made in a different situation. One glass of wine and the extra order of appetizers with friends seems like a good idea!
Managing Summer’s Challenges
Just recognizing these challenges, can make them easier to manage. My suggestion to you is to pull out a piece of paper and write down what your challenges are in weight loss over the summer. Then brainstorm ways you can manage them. Come up with a few different options for managing each challenge and try them out to see what works for you and your life.
Listen to the podcast episode below for more information and my specific practical tips for summer weight loss.
Lose The Weight You Want This Summer
Losing weight over the summer is possible. You just need the right tools and the right support. Private weight loss coaching helps you find the root causes of overeating and correct them in simple ways that fit in your busy life. No willpower required.
To learn more, book your free introductory session so we can chat about your specific weight concerns. Click below to book.
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