You should reconsider dieting during the summer - But why?
You should reconsider dieting during the summer - But Why?
The arrival of summer often brings thoughts of beach vacations, pool parties, and the desire to achieve that “perfect” summer body. For many, this leads to the temptation of dieting. However, before you embark on a dieting/deficit journey, it’s essential to consider the potential drawbacks and explore alternative approaches to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In this blog post, we will discuss the reasons why you should reconsider dieting in the summer and embrace a more sustainable and balanced approach to your health.
Summer is full of so many fun events, celebrations, vacations, trips, and holidays. The food and drinks are a huge part of all of those! So when you’re trying to hit your deficit macros at any of these events it’s extremely challenging and frankly, it's not any fun. You feel left out. Or you over-indulge and feel guilty because you went over your macros or gave up on tracking altogether. Don’t get me wrong, a couple of days of overindulging during a deficit will NOT hinder any progress, but that’s the caveat with summer time. It’s never just a couple of events. It’s usually a lot of them!
Instead of missing out on these exciting times and memories, I ask you to consider a maintenance phase instead. You’ll have more calories to work with and feel less restricted when it comes to summer time events. You can be more in the moment with friends and family. You can enjoy a margarita and a dessert. You won’t have to choose one or the other then eat some weird combination of foods to hit your protein because you used all your carbs and fats. You can take more tracking breaks and practice on intuitive eating. Both of those are much easier to achieve during a maintenance phase rather than a deficit phase.
There’s also so many amazing benefits in a maintenance phase. You are eating more food that keeps up with the demands of your body (calories in = calories out). Your sleep, energy, mood, digestion, and stress levels all improve. Maintenance is a great time to focus on building muscle. A common misconception is that you can gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. That’s not the case for most. We have to choose one goal or the other because the protocols for those goals are different. Being in a maintenance phase during summer allows you to enjoy it and all the fun this time of year brings.
If you’re wanting to lose weight and be in a fat loss phase I recommend starting several months before summer. That way you can show off the amazing progress you’ve made by the time summer is here. You can maintain your results and enjoy yourself a bit more during one the most fun times of the year!
There are plenty of ways to stay healthy during the summer without having to diet. By enjoying the season’s freshest produce, staying hydrated, practicing mindful eating, maintaining energy for activities, prioritizing mental well-being, and focusing on long-term health goals, you can have a fulfilling and balanced summer without the pressures of dieting. Embrace this season as an opportunity to embrace a healthier lifestyle and celebrate the unique beauty that resides within you. Remember, health and happiness are the ultimate goals!
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