Tips to fight summer weight gain
When we think of summer, most of us think of outdoor fun. So it seems like we should naturally lose weight over the summer—not gain it. 31 Lots of summer activities can work against our efforts to stay at a healthy weight. The good news is that it’s easy to avoid problems if we know what to look out for.
Get going with goals. When we don’t have a plan, it’s easy to spend summer moving from couch to computer, with regular stops at the fridge. 32 Just be sure to plan for some downtime so you can relax a little!
33 With school out, we lose our daily routines. If you don’t have a specific job or activity to get up for, it’s easy to sleep late, watch too much TV, and snack more than usual. Make sure your summer days have some structure — like getting up at the same time each day and eating meals at set times. Plan activities for specific times, like exercising before breakfast, for example. If you have time on your hands, offer to make dinner a couple of nights a week so your family can enjoy a sit-down meal together.
Think about what and how you eat. Summer means picnics and barbecues — activities that revolve around an unlimited spread of food. Pace yourself. Don’t overload your plate. Avoid going back for seconds and thirds. Choose seasonal, healthy foods like fresh fruit instead of high-sugar, high-fat desserts. 34
Stay busy. 35 In addition to helping you avoid the cookie jar, filling your days with stuff to do can give you a sense of accomplishment. That’s especially true if a dream summer job or planned activity fell through. Limit your screen time — including TV, computer, and video games — to no more than 2 hours a day.
A. Stick to a schedule.
B. Plan more activities.
C. Appropriate summer eating sets you up on the right track!
D. Most of us, however, don’t take summer weight gain seriously.
E. In reality, though, summer isn’t all about beach volleyball and water sports.
F. When we’re bored, it’s easy to fall into a trap of doing nothing and then feeling low on energy.
G. Avoid this by setting a specific aim, like volunteering, mastering a new skill, or working at a job.