Repost: Beat Summer Weight Gain

(Repost from last summer with a few updates!)

Summer is actually the perfect time of year to LOSE weight. Especially for me–the heat really does a number on my appetite. Sure it’s fun to splurge. But if you are trying to stay healthy, or trying to lose weight, you have to be smarter than your cravings. I’ve learned a lot in the three years I’ve been maintaining my 100 pound loss. Here are a few tips I can share:

1. Stick to a schedule. Schedule your workouts like you would schedule fun stuff. I always plan some kind of workout even on vacation. For example, on our anniversary trip we brought our bikes and hiking boots and used them! Last year when we were in Vegas on vacation I went for an early morning run (which was really fun!) and in the past I’ve used the casino’s gym to get in a workout.

2. Make goals. Set small goals for yourself so you can track the progress. I goal I usually make for summer time is to just not GAIN. 🙂

3. Beat the heat. Sure it’s hot and comfortable and not fun to workout in 100 degree weather…be creative. Go swimming, bowling (thank you AC!), try the REI rockclimbing wall which is inside. Oregon has a lot of rivers and lakes and I’m looking forward to doing some open-water swimming this summer.

4. Control what you eat. At BBQ’s and picnics: Always start with the salad and wait to get seconds. Eat a lot of fruit. If it’s a potluck, bring something healthy that YOU can enjoy too!

5. Don’t drink your calories. That includes the lovely Starbucks iced coffees! Order something lighter than the 300+ calorie iced mocha. Check out my previous post on Alcohol.

Top 5 best drinks:
1. Rum and Diet Coke (1 oz. rum) – 65 calories
Tip: Use diet sodas as mixers, such as gin and diet tonic, diet 7Up and Seagrams 7, diet ginger ale and Jack Daniels, and so on.
2. Vodka and Soda (1 oz. vodka) – 65 calories
3. White Wine Spritzer (4 oz. white wine topped with club soda) – 80 calories

6. Drink water! Not only do we need to be drinking more water, it also fills up your stomach and curbs hunger. (I need to be doing this more.)

This summer will be a little different too in that I’ve started commuting to work by bike. I’m really looking forward to increasing the frequency that I commute each week. It’s a nice way to get in a workout and enjoy the weather, while freeing up some of my evenings to do other fun things.