Summertime Eating

Hot temperatures, outdoor cooking, fun parties, family get togethers,  weddings and graduations. The list goes on where food is going to be a focal point in a celebration. How do you stay on track or keep to your new lifestyle changes you have made?  Do you use the celebration as a reason to break your lifestyle change or diet?

 I have recommended to clients to use a celebration as a cheat day.  Meaning you can have one item that is not part of your regular menu, i.e. piece of cake, alcohol, something fried, a particular type of sauce or gravy are some items you may want to splurge on during an event.  If the summer is filled with festivals every month or every other week, is it wise to cheat so much?  No.

 When designating a cheat day, it should be the same day of each week.  This prevents you from letting your cheats float and then become part of your daily habit.  Your cheat item first and foremost should not be caloric dynamite.  It shouldn’t destroy all the hard work you have been doing all week long.  Cheat items are only there to break up your eating.  They allow you to have some richer foods with more control in your eating plan.

 Let’s develop a plan of attack of things you can do to manage the summertime eating…..

1. Change your goal.

 If more gatherings are on your agenda for the summer, this may be a good time to focus on maintaining your weight or body fat level than trying to lose.  Instead of having normal portions of cheat items, you may choose smaller portions to keep your current weight stable.  This will prevent you from adding more exercise to your regimen to prevent weight/fat gain during this time.  Once all the celebrations have passed, then you can focus on losing weight/body fat again.

 2. Increase your time exercising or exercise intensity.

 By adding more exercise to your regimen, you can help burn those extra calories off from your dietary indiscretions.  Your weight loss may slowdown during this time as your are balancing the extra calories in your diet with extra exercise.  Adding another exercise day, making your sessions longer or boosting your intensity will help to make the most of diet during the summer. 

3. Limit your cheats to really big or important events.

 If there are several weddings you are going to attend or family gatherings going on, pick the one you really want to splurge at.  You can save up your cheat items for one big day.  Just remember not to gorge yourself. You will still want to eat responsibly and have normal portion sizes or smaller portions of the richer foods on the menu.  By waiting for one event, the day will have less impact on your weight loss goal.  We get into trouble with cheating because we lose track of how many cheats we have allowed ourselves to have.  Next thing you know, you have gained back the 15 lbs you initially lost because of too much freedom with eating.

 4. Keep a journal of what you are cheating on and when.

 This keeps you honest about how often you have allowed yourself some freedom with your diet.  Also you can track when it is time to make necessary changes to your diet to continue with your progress.  This helps with making changes to break through a plateau.  Keeping a journal also helps to monitor how many calories you are taking in and how that matches with your exercise regimen.

5. Do not skip meals in order to have a cheat item.

 Skipping meals will only cause you to over-eat any foods that are available.  Skipping meals is a sure fire way to increase your hunger.  And when you are at the mercy of being hungry all foods look good because all you want to do is satisfy your hunger!  This is a sure fire way to fall off your wagon and do major danger to your eating program.  If you are wanting to take in fewer calories for the day of the event you may cut your portions by 1/4-1/3rd of what you normally eat.  Have more salads with very little dressing; try using lime or lemon juice instead.  Drink more non-caloric fluids during the day to help curb your appetite and keep you feeling full longer.  When you arrive at the event, continue to drink lots of fluids. Make your focus vegetables, lean meats, fruits and save the end for your favorite treat or treats.  Remember to keep your splurge items serving sizes small.  Enjoying the event is the main goal and keeping your focus off the food is priority.

6. Get in some leisurely exercise after the event.

 Taking a walk in your neighborhood, exercise with your spouse/significant other or a buddy, or spend some extra time on your favorite exercise equipment.  This workout doesn’t have to be high intensity, but getting in the extra exercise can help with burning more calories from the event you just attended.  You could also try swimming in the pool or walking the pool for 30 minutes.  You can also use your errand time to get in extra physical activity to help summertime events from being caloric dynamite! Food should not take a such a large part of your time and continuously having food on your mind can put a damper on how you feel during festive times.  This is a guide to help you with overcoming some of the barriers with eating with others.  Remember some people will understand the choices you have made to improve your life and others will not share is your victories.  Please take note that you must remind yourself why you have made these choices.  And rely on your strength within to move through tough times.  It does not always feel good having smaller portions, exercising hard, and watching what you are putting into your body.  But in the end, who is going to be happy living inside your skin? - YOU ARE.  Therefore worrying about what others think and say can hurt.  Remember to allow yourself the feelings, and remember they are momentary.  We all experience bumps in the road and you will be tested while reaching your goals!

 Cydney Walker, MS, RD, CPT

RD Finders and Personal Training

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