Not sure about you, but the summer has a tendency to really creep up on me.
I mean, I am a teacher so you would THINK that I am more than a little aware of when summer starts, and I certainly am, haha!
BUT that doesn’t mean I am prepared for it.
If you are anything like me you find yourself right around the beginning of June just starting to think about how these longer, warmer days mean that we can really start to get some bike rides in!
Also, if you are anything like me there are some voices popping into your head that say things like “Are you really ready to be in a bathing suit this summer?”
And/or “Crap. You’re going away in a couple weeks, you haven’t been riding your bike much, AND you are going to eat yourself into a coma over vacation. Oh well. Eff it. Might as well just give up and deal with it all later.”
If you are worried about how you are going to juggle all of the vacations, weekends, 4th of July parties, etc. this summer, read on for 5 quick tips on how to manage it all.
Tip #1: Have a plan for vacations and holiday weekends.
For many of us, summer involved a different kind of routine. The days are longer, we are likely to have more vacations and time off. There are 4th of July celebrations which often involve BBQs and great food.
Sometimes it seems like this could pose a huge problem for weight loss because we are out of our routine. We get fearful that all of the hard work that we put forth during the spring is going to go down the toilet with the lack of structure that we have over the summer.
Because, seriously, who is about to deny themselves a lovely cocktail out on the deck, or a scrumptious smore over the fire?
I mean…I will probably have both of those things..possibly at the same time!
The key is to plan for it. To plot out on the calendar when these special days/vacations are, and decide in advance exactly what we are going to enjoy and LET ourselves enjoy it.
So, for example, my family will be taking its yearly vacation to the beach at the end of June, and I know that I am going to want to enjoy a delicious dinner out for at least a couple nights.
This is GREAT. This is fine. I am going to enjoy those dinners, and focus on eating what I want but not overeating it. Also, I am not planning to bring my bike on this vacation, but am planning to walk to the beach instead.
This keeps me active AND allows me to enjoy vacation, food, and good times with my family.
There is nothing wrong with going on vacation and enjoying yourself. Just have a plan for how you are going to do it, and then also have a plan for how you are going to handle coming back home.
A couple dinners out where we eat what we love are not going to make us gain weight.
Giving ourselves a hard time about this? Coming home and saying “well I already screwed up so I might as well just keep eating/not riding my bike?” THAT is what is going to cause you to gain weight.
Tip #2: Avoid Dieting AND Embrace healthy summer foods that are in season.
So you may already know that I think the word “diet” is a dirty word. I feel like they are so detrimental to weight loss for so many reasons.
One of the big ones is that they often make us think that all we have to do is make some temporary, drastic changes and that the weight will come off.
It might, but unless we are willing to be that drastic forever, the weight is going to come back.
In other words, if you try to go all keto right before the summer so you look good in your bathing suit, then chances are as soon as you stop being so restrictive you are going to gain all the weight back AND feel bad.
No one wants or needs this!
Instead, focus on embracing healthy choices and all of the yummy food that is in season.
I am so excited to go strawberry and blueberry picking this summer. And I cannot even begin to wait until my little garden starts giving me tomatoes and cucumbers (hopefully!).
Also, we do a lot of grilling over the summer. I focus on eating good, healthy food, and stoping when I am satisfied. To me this makes way more sense than saying that I am not going to eat carbs until I get to some random number on the scale.
Carbs are fuel for bike rides! And they taste good. So I will absolutely NOT be doing THAT.
Tip #3: Ride during the coolest times of day if possible.
The great thing about summer bike rides is that we can ride later at night and earlier in the morning because the days are LONG!
The sucky thing about them is that it can be SO. FREAKING. HOT. In fact, I sometimes find it easier to motivate to ride in the basement in the winter because the ride will warm me up. I absolutely HATE being hot, so riding when it’s a million degrees out does not appeal to me.
One of the best ways I deal with this is to time my rides for the coolest times of day. I am more likely to be on the road on a weekday evening during the summer than during the middle of the day.
This simple trick makes it so much easier for me to be able to stick to my planned bike rides for the week.
Tip #4: Fuel and hydrate for rides.
I will be super honest here. When it’s hot out especially, you need to be extra mindful of fueling and hydrating properly for rides.
There can be so many reasons why you are feeling weak on a ride, but a lot of times it boils down to “did you eat enough” and “did you drink enough.” Also WHAT you are eating and drinking in these situations also matters.
Sometimes straight water isn’t enough, and you need a hydration mix. Consider Osmo…it’s for women, tastes good, and is by far my favorite.
Other times you might be struggling because you didn’t drink during the day leading up to your ride and you are playing catch up with hydration on the bike (spoiler, playing catch up rarely works).
The same can be said of food. Are you eating enough during the day before your ride? Are you getting a good carb/protein combo in about an hour before your ride? Peanut butter sandwiches/crackers are my go to for this!
You want to always make sure that you have the fuel you need for your rides so that you can feel good on the bike. Nothing kills motivation to get on the bike next time more than feeling like you can barely do your current ride.
#5: Have an end of summer/fall entry plan.
This is ESPECIALLY important if your routine is dramatically different during the summer than it is during the rest of the year. I am a teacher so it is actually MUCH different for me.
I find that having a plan for transitioning into the fall in terms of both nutrition and bike rides is so important. If I don’t have a solid plan for what I am going to be eating for breakfast and lunch, as well as for when I am going to be fitting in my rides, I am likely to not make the best of choices.
If you take a bunch of vacations during the summer or spend a lot of time at a summer home, you might feel the same way.
Another great thing to do to keep yourself on track is to sign up for a fall bike ride/event.
Just like the beginning of the summer, you are so much more likely to be able to fit in rides and make good food choices in the fall if you take just a little bit of time to make a plan going in.
A Final Note
Losing weight over the summer is actually very manageable and easy if you go into it with a plan.
Know when your vacations and special events are (there are probably fewer than you think!).
Allow yourself to truly enjoy these times and enjoy food without guilt and without beating yourself up.
Take advantage of the cooler times of day for your bike rides, and make sure that you are hydrating and fueling properly.
I know that this sounds simple, and it truly is, but think about how many times we make it so much more complicated!
And, if you screw up and overeat, don’t make it mean anything about YOU. Make like Elsa and let it go. It is never to late to start making different choices.
Now, make yourself a little plan, and have an freaking FANTASTIC summer.
Ride on!
xoxo
Stacy
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