Healthy Hot Weather Hacks for Weight Loss
For many of us, the hot weather of summer is here! Summer can be such a fun time, with so many outdoor activities, and lots of fabulous foods at parties, cookouts, and picnics. It can be super easy to find yourself straying from the healthy eating habits we may have built in recent months, or even the habits we may still be trying to build. There are lots of ways to enjoy the summer fun while still sticking to your healthy eating plans though! I wanted to pass along a few quick ideas to get you thinking-as I’m sweltering here in the super sunny, hot weather at the beach!
Fortunately, for many of us, summer brings MANY choices of fresh, delicious produce! Strawberries, blueberries, cherries, tomatoes, corn on the cob and more, are usually ripe, and ready for us at our local farmers market, produce stand or grocery store. To keep your belly full of all the best vitamins while still focusing on eating super healthy, try adding a fruit of vegetable to every meal or snack! Get creative with your produce-mix it into salads, sauces, smoothies, or consider freezing it into a fabulous sweet sorbet! When hosting parties, or visiting friends, be sure to offer a dish that is cool, fresh, and filled with vitamin packed fruits or veggies: fruit or veggie trays with healthy dips, fruit salads, or veggies with delicious fruit salsas are a great choice. These foods. are not only nutrient packed, but also cool in temperature! Offering these choices ensures that you have a yummy, healthy, filling choice available to stick to your plan.
Be sure to get that water in! Drinking a tall glass of water before meals helps in so many ways. It cools us down, fills us up, and helps replenish the hydration our bodies need in hot weather. Our needs for hydration increase in warmer months, especially when we are active. Be sure to aim for at LEAST half your body weight in ounces of water each day to stay healthy and ready to do all the hot weather activities you want to do. (example: a 150 pound person should drink 75 ounces of water each day!) Start and end each day with a glass of water, have a glass before each meal and snack, and a glass before and after workouts of activities, and this goal can easily be reached.
Keep an eye on alcohol intake! Alcohol is super dehydrating to the body, and some of those wonderful summer drinks are full of added sugar, so plan your drinking carefully. Drink a glass of water between drinks to keep your body hydrated and flushed. Choose drinks that are lower in sugar. Daiquiris, margaritas, long island ice teas, and other sweeter drinks are made with syrups that are filled with sugar and tons of calories. To cut the sugar, choose a drink made with vodka, or gin, with low sugar soda or fresh squeezed fruit spritz. Be sure to drink that water along with your alcohol to avoid both dehydration and the hangover that can come with it.
Summer often offers up special times, with special treats involved-like ice cream! My beach town has at least 7 ice cream shops within a few blocks-so the temptation is always looming!! Make a plan for getting, and enjoying, those special treats. For me, ice cream is a reward for walking! I only allow myself ice cream when I WALK to the ice cream parlor to get it! A nice evening walk with friends or family on a warm evening is the perfect prelude to enjoying ice cream and conversation. This works with most of those summer treats; a hot pretzel after a game of mini golf, a cold frozen libation after a long walk on the beach or at the park, or an extra serving of my favorite cookout food after a game of volleyball or a swim in the pool or ocean.
Summer is a time to have fun, be outdoors, travel, and be with loved ones, often while enjoying foods that just scream “SUMMER”. It’s important to remember-everything in MODERATION is fine! Balance your foods and drinks with healthy activities, water, and rest, and you will continue to see results in your personal health journey!
*Looking for a few super fun, super cool, super easy summer treats to share on a hot day? Check out a few of my favs here!
*Looking for someone to guide you on your health and wellness journey? Help you set achievable goals, motivate you, and help you find the answers to the things that are holding you back from your ultimate health goals? Contact me for a totally free and fun 30 minute consultation to see how we can work together to get you there!