How to get ready for Summer
Mid-June is right around the corner and you know what that means?
Beach days, backyard cornhole games, and BBQs. You know why?
Because IT’S SUMMER, BABY!
My favorite season. Besides the fact that I have a summer birthday, I absolutely love the season. I love being outside when the sun is shining and nature is singing.
The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming, and we get to put another dreadful Michigan winter behind us.
But the summer season can come with anxiety for some of us.
If you read my last blog, “Confessions from a Fitness Coach”, then you’ll know that I have some insecurities about my body and can be hesitant to take off my shirt at the beach.
The purpose of today’s blog is to give you some tips so that you can feel more confident and ready going into summer this year.
Tip #1- Consider reducing your sugar intake
Now, I’m not saying to eliminate sugar completely from your diet. I know there will be some summer days where everyone is getting ice cream and you don’t want to feel left out.
So enjoy those times!
The key is to not eat sweets day-to-day, so that when the occasional ice cream endeavor comes up, you can enjoy it guilt-free because you have been “saving up your sweet tooth”.
For example-
It’s the beginning of June and you know that you have somebody’s birthday celebration coming up at the end of the month. So you eliminate sweets, (anything over 10g of sugar), for the entire month up until the celebration day. Finally, the end of the month comes and you enjoy a treat guilt-free without negatively affecting your health & fitness journey.
And yeah, ice cream socials and the like will pop up from time to time over summer and you can’t always plan for them. That’s why you stockpile your sweet intake until one of these socials comes up.
Personally, for me, I’d rather enjoy the occasional sweet treat with friends and not have to be left out than indulge in a sweet treat on my own.
Typically, I like to give myself a sweet treat once every few weeks but you have to plan a time frame that is realistic for you that also allows you to practice discipline. I shoot for this “once every few weeks cheat” when I am on top of my game. But I’m human, too. I’ve had many times where I didn’t give myself boundaries and ended up overindulging.
Tip #2- Consider reducing your alcohol intake
I approach this with a very similar tactic that I use with sweets; so I like to give myself a break and enjoy some wine once every few weeks or so.
Personally, this one is easier for me than reducing sweets but everyone has their vice.
Another thing to consider, especially when on the subject of alcohol, is paying close attention to the amount you are consuming.
I’d rather enjoy 2-3 glasses of wine in one evening than have 1 glass 3 times in a given week.
Now I’m not advocating for binging at all. You should know your limits and know what is appropriate for you.
Considering the component of discipline, which I talk about a lot, it’s best to space out your intake.
Personally, I don’t want alcohol or sweets in my diet on more than one occasion throughout one given week.
I’d rather enjoy what I want and the amount I want (within reason) once every few weeks.
Going back to the sugar example-
I’d rather enjoy a full serving of vanilla ice cream with sprinkles on a cone with friends once or twice throughout the summer than be nibbling on bite-sized pieces of candy throughout the week every week.
Save up your servings to enjoy at an appropriate time with friends and family.
Tip #3- Make sure you are consuming enough water!
It gets hot in the summer, you are outside more, and you are typically more active this time of year.
It’s easy to get dehydrated and you will notice when you start feeling fatigued, overly hot, and you may get some head and stomach discomfort.
None of these symptoms are fun, but they can happen easily if you aren’t monitoring your water intake.
We’ve all felt heat exhaustion from being out in the sun all day it’s no joke.
A good place to start is to drink half of your body weight in ounces of water. I teach this to all of my members who work with me so if you’re already used to that then bump up your water intake when you are out in the sun.
Staying hydrated will give you more energy and focus for the day. It’s such an underlooked but vastly important component of good health.
Tip #4- Get outside as much as possible and enjoy the time with family and friends.
The summer is a great time to explore the outdoors and be active. And what better way to do so than with the company of close friends or family?
Plan for:
An afternoon picnic
A day at the beach
An early morning hike
A sunset bike ride with the fam
There are endless ways to enjoy the outdoors this summer!
Don’t stay inside.
Don’t isolate yourself.
Take the freakin’ mask off and engage with humans in person! There, I said it. I unveiled a small portion of my opinion on this whole thing 😒 smh.
The summer is the best time of the year. enjoy it!
The summer is the best time of year.
It’s filled with long beach days, late summer nights around the bonfire, and most importantly spending time with those closest to you.
Enjoy the time.
Set boundaries FOR YOURSELF that are realistic and give you a little push of discipline.
Save your sweet treats and drinks for times with others and eliminate overindulgence from your day-to-day routine.
Enjoying these things in moderation every few weeks or so with friends and family is much better than indulging on your own and or doing so regularly. All of these tips will help you lean up for summer.
If you need a push to get yourself ready for summer, then consider joining my Summer Shred Challenge. It’s launching on June 14th. Click the button below if you’d like to be a part of it and/or want more information.
Don’t walk this journey alone.