Summertime Nutrition Tips
The key to enjoying your summer is ensuring your actions and expectations align. Frustration arises when you are hoping for an outcome that isn’t realistic, given what you’re willing to commit to.
Start by determining your summer priorities. Are you someone who likes to hang out with friends on the water every weekend while enjoying a few drinks? Do you travel a lot? Are you getting married and have specific aesthetic goals that have a strict timeline? Are you competing or trying to achieve an epic summer bucket list item and need to focus on optimizing your performance?
From there, you can determine what level of flexibility with your nutrition works best and ensure your expectations align with your habits and actions. If you want to relax a bit on the weekends, you may need to be more precise during the week and be okay with slightly slower, but still steady, progress.
If you are trying to drop 10 lbs for an event or gearing up to compete, you may need to be more precise and make some sacrifices to achieve your goal.
Summer barbecues and get-togethers may be planned weeks in advance, but most often, they pop up last second and can cause some stress when you’re tracking macros, already have a few meals under your belt, and know that there will be drinks flowing or treats around.
Here are a few of our go-to tips:
Plan ahead if you can. Think about what foods and drinks you want to prioritize at the party, plan them into your day by pre-logging, then design your morning and afternoon meals around your priorities.
Depending on your macros and goals, you may find that you have to pick and choose your treats and consider trade-offs. For example, if you are choosing to have a drink or two, you may not be able to fit in dessert as well.
Bring something macro-friendly to share, as these are usually the toughest things to find at a BBQ or party. You can rely on these to fill up remaining macros (especially if the get-together is last minute) and feel satiated, so other food or drinks don’t feel so tempting.
If you’re not tracking (or decide not to track), fill your plate with protein and veggies before picking and choosing higher carb and fat options.
Socialize far away from the snack table. Grazing while you chat is a quick way to overeat without realizing it. Instead, fill a small plate or napkin with your favorite snacks, enjoy them slowly and focus on the company you’re with.
Accountability is huge when trying to achieve a goal. Whether you enlist a friend to help hold you accountable to your plans or hire a nutrition coach to teach you how to hold yourself accountable, make sure you are clear on your plans before you head into summer.
