If you’re finding it hard to put your lemonade (a natural one of course!) down this summer and get moving so you can burn some calories you’re not alone. Even though you know exercise is good for you and can help keep your weight down, your mood up and your risk of diabetes, heart disease and depression low it’s so easy to let your motivation for regular exercise slip when the weather is gorgeous and all you want to do is lounge around and stay cool.

It’s the same with diet. Summertime and the eating is easy… buffet breakfasts, leisurely lunches, ice cream on the beach, boozy barbecues and cocktails by the pool … with so many opportunities to eat and drink it’s not surprising that lapses in diet and fitness are common when days are long and warm. But it doesn’t have to be this way. With a little planning, the summer months are a fantastic opportunity to boost both your diet and your fitness campaign. Follow the tips below and not only will your diet stay healthy but moving will become fun again.

 

Summer diet tips

Picnics: Fill sandwiches with healthy fillings such as egg, prawns or tuna canned in water or oil. Avoid packing up pastry products like pork pies, quiche, pasties and flans. Instead, go for small slices of veggie pizza or lightly grilled fish portions. Pack plenty of fresh fruit but don’t just stick to apples and pears – take along slices of melon, strawberries, raspberries, grapes, fresh apricots, nectarines and peaches. Crisps are packed with salt and fried so take along chopped up vegetable sticks and cherry tomatoes instead and serve them with dips like hummous or a handful of nuts and seeds.

 

Drinks: When it’s hot, it might be tempting to cool down with litres of fruit squashes and fizzy drinks, but these can pile on the pounds if you drink enough of them as they are loaded with sugar, additives and calories. Instead, you’re best off quenching your thirst with water, so keep a good stock of bottled water to hand, particularly if it’s not safe to drink the tap water. If you want something more interesting than water, then use half fruit juice and half sparkling water.  Alcohol won’t quench your thirst but if you do fancy a drink, moderation is key and try to alternate alcoholic drinks with a glass of water. As well as saving calories, it will also help to prevent dehydration and stop you from getting a hangover (and missing out on the glorious sunshine the next day). If you can’t resist a few cocktails, avoid those made with cream-based liqueurs, cream, and syrups. Instead choose those made with healthier ingredients like fruit juices, fresh fruit.

 

Salads and Ice cream: Be careful when you order or eat salads. It may seem like you’re having the healthiest option, but they may be drowning in dressing that is loaded with saturated fat and calories. Always best to have your dressing on the side. When it comes to ice cream a small serving now and again won’t do you any harm. You are aiming to eat well 80% of the time.  When available buy the best ice cream you can eg organic, natural ingredients and go for vanilla or a fruit one like strawberry rather than something like chocolate chip.  Remember though there are plenty of delicious healthier alternatives such as sorbets, smoothies, or frozen yogurts topped with fruit.

 

Weddings and parties: When it comes to summer weddings and parties the best advice is to enjoy the occasion not just the food. Take the time to talk with friends and family you don’t see very often. Take part in the sports or games that are being played. Spend some time with the kids and just play! Don’t go on an empty stomach; when you’re hungry you’re more likely to over eat and make unhealthy choices. Stick to your healthy eating plans when choosing foods and when you’ve finished move away from the buffet table so you’re less likely to be tempted. A small slice of wedding cake won’t ruin your diet so go ahead and enjoy it; if you’ve given a huge slice eating it all isn’t compulsory, just have a few mouthfuls.

 

Summer fitness tips

Find an exercise partner: Making a commitment to exercise with a friend makes it harder to miss a few days because you know your friend is relying on you to keep them motivated. Other friends who can help you get moving include hyperactive dogs that need to run every day or a friend or co-worker who has asked you to help them slim down. You may also want to challenge a friend or family member to a fitness contest. Pick a week and keep track of how many minutes each of you exercises. At the end the loser has to wash all the dishes for a week or take you out to the movies.

 

Be prepared: If you put your exercise clothes on as soon as you get home you’re far less likely to lounge in the garden. You may even want to take your exercise clothes to work so you can be ready to get moving as soon as you are finished. Once you’ve got your walking shoes and your leggings or shorts on you’re far more likely to be inspired to walk.

 

Track your progress: Put a big red mark on your calendar for every day you exercise. Keeping a record of your accomplishments can be really motivating, especially if you are trying to lose weight or get fitter and you feel that your progress is slow. Keep a diary of your walking or exercise workouts and how you felt after in a notebook.

 

Do something new: Instead of sticking to the same workouts each week experiment with something new. Try a different class at your gym or map out a fresh running or walking route. And if you’ve never lifted weights before here’s a good reason to give it a try: Research at Arizona State University has shown that if you lift weights on a regular basis you’ll burn extra calories for up to two hours after a workout. If you’re worried about bulking up don’t be as women only bulk up if their weight training is obsessive. Mild weight training two to three times a week for about 30 minutes will simply add tone to your muscles. It’s also a good idea to change your workout location. Running or walking in another city or village adds a bit of excitement to your routine. Or have a day working out on the beach. Bring Frisbees or a beach ball along and then after your workout give yourself plenty of time to relax on the beach and soak up the sunshine (and get a dose of vitamin D).

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Listen to music: According to a recent study fast paced music has been shown to inspire people to run faster on a treadmill than people who had no music to listen to. So, if you’re having trouble getting motivated choose an album of upbeat music that really fires you up and play it both when you workout and when you are getting ready to work out.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 1st, 2008 at 4:00 am and is filed under Exercise, Healthy Living, Nutrition and Healthy Eating. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.