Attending too many parties, traveling, and even putting too much pressure on yourself to be thin can increase your risk of summer weight gain.
You probably welcome summer with open arms — but not the weight gain that can come with it. The thing is, seasonal weight gain is normal. And it only really poses a problem if you don’t have an action plan to get yourself back to your normal weight.
How much weight do most people gain during the summer? During a one- to three-week vacation, adults tend to gain a little less than a pound (lb), according to a study published in March 2016 in Physiology & Behavior. This may not sound like much, but over the years, vacation weight gain can add up. Study authors attributed the weight gain to eating more calories than usual during the participants’ time off work.
Sometimes weight gain is only temporary. So if suddenly you’re 5 lb heavier one morning, don’t freak out. “If you were to weigh yourself all throughout the day, you will see that body weight can fluctuate as much as 5 pounds,” says Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE, of Hamburg, New Jersey, the author of 2 Day Diabetes Diet. “The food you eat, how much water you drink, bowel movements, water retention, and even hormones — such as the bloat you experience during that time of the month — can all have a large impact on body weight, thanks to changes in fluid shifts.”
So instead of worrying about the number on the scale, look at your weight trends. “If your weight increases and continues to increase without ever decreasing, you may need to take action to prevent unhealthy gains in body fat,” notes Palinski-Wade. And if the weight is sticking, take note of these eight reasons you may have gained weight over the summer — plus easy strategies for getting back on track quickly.
1. You Didn’t BYO Platter to the Backyard Barbecues
“Most people think summer is an easier time to lose weight, but that’s actually not the case,” says Palinski-Wade. “Summer tends to lend itself to increased social gatherings and celebrations. Since many of those celebrations involve food and alcohol, it can be easy to consume more calories than you burn.” Yup, while you may have started the day off with a swim, you likely more than ate back what you burned off if you tried every type of cookie at the dessert table.
Solution At your next soiree, bring share-friendly plates that won't pose a threat to your waistline, such as homemade salsa, a strawberry salad, or garlic-roasted green beans.
2. You Didn’t Have a Party Game Plan
If your thought process about a weekend barbecue was as simple as, “I’m going to a barbecue today. I’m hungry. I’ll bring a healthy option, but I'll still eat whatever’s being served there,” you may have found your problem.
Solution Bringing a good-for-you option is half the battle. Meal planning is the other part.
“If you know you’re going to a pool party, do a mental dress rehearsal of what you intend to eat and drink,” says Samantha Cassetty, RD, a nutrition and weight loss expert with a virtual counseling practice based in New York City. “It might sound silly, but visualizing a run-through can help you stick to your health goals. Even if you don’t stick to your plan 100 percent, chances are you’ll bring more intention and awareness to the situation.” Try this: Visualize a buffet table with salad, fruit kebabs, burgers, and pasta salad. Plan to fill half your plate with salad and fruit.
3. You Let Your Exercise Routine Fall to the Wayside
If you live and die by your calendar, maintaining any semblance of a workout routine has probably been difficult for you this summer. “Schedules tend to vary during the summer, thanks to school break and vacations,” notes Palinski-Wade. An erratic schedule may lead to you skipping out on your workout more often than you’d like.
Solution Start small. “If you’ve been sidelining your exercise routine, try to spend 10 minutes doing something active,” says Cassetty. “A small, doable goal feels less overwhelming than setting a monumental one — like hitting Spin class three times next week.” When you feel like you’re back into a routine, hop on the group-fitness-class bandwagon to keep yourself accountable. Consider committing to prepaid workout classes, such as Orange Theory, SoulCycle, Pilates, or even personal-training sessions. These days, you can even opt for in-home workouts, by way of companies such as Aaptiv, obé Fitness, BBG, and Peloton. If there’s a monetary loss on the line, you may be less likely to skip the workout, reveals a randomized controlled trial published in March 2016 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
4. You Went Overboard on the Summery Beverages
You may have skipped the margaritas and frosé at many a party. But that doesn’t mean you saved calories. “Soda, sweet tea, milkshakes, and slushy beverages all sound refreshing in the hot weather,” says Ginger Hultin, RD, a Seattle-based spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “But they also contribute a lot of calories from added sugar.” Indeed, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics position paper on sweeteners, which the group published in May 2012 in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, states that consuming more added sugars is connected with taking in more calories — and a heightened risk of developing obesity, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
Solution Cutting back on the added sugar doesn’t mean you’ll sacrifice taste. Drink flavorful unsweetened iced tea, such as hibiscus, and consider bringing your own pitcher of a low- or no-added-sugar beverage. Go for strawberry lemon iced tea, a sangria mocktail, or an iced prune drink.
5. You Tended to Eat Dinner (or Snack) Later
Days don’t just feel longer in the summer — the summer solstice is the longest day of the year, notes The Old Farmer’s Almanac. “Longer days and longer nights can mean an increase in late-night meals and drinks,” says Maya Feller, RD, a New York City–based author of The Southern Comfort Foods Diabetes Cookbook. “You may find yourself waking up at the same time but going to bed later because of the extended daylight. It’s also possible that you’re eating more meals simply because you are awake for longer.”
Solution As you get back into a fall routine, schedule your meals and snacks. In a study of nearly 41,000 French adults published in February 2017 in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, meal planning was associated with healthier diet choices and a lower risk for obesity. “These data suggest that meal planning could potentially be relevant for obesity prevention,” the authors wrote in their conclusion.
Because research on the ideal frequency of eating varies, you may want to consider working with a registered dietitian who can help you meet your weight goal. But you may want to consider eating three times per day at minimum. The authors of an article published in the Journal of Nutrition concluded that eating more than three times per day doesn’t have a significant effect on how hungry you are and how much you might eat, but eating fewer than three times daily may leave you feeling hungry.
If you’re hungry for snacks between meals, opt for healthy choices such as fresh fruit, low- or nonfat dairy (yogurt and cheese make good picks), and whole-grain cereal, suggests the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
6. You’re Full-On Embracing the Vacation Mind-Set
Good for you if you found your zen this summer. “It's pretty common to spend the entire summer in a more relaxed mode — and that can mean loosening up on your healthy routines until after Labor Day,” says Cassetty. “It’s normal to gain a little weight on vacation when you’re eating out more frequently, treating yourself to more fun foods like ice cream or french fries, and exercising less often.”
Solution “Reconsider how you think about treats,” says Cassetty. “It doesn’t always have to be about the food scene.” You might consider getting a massage, getting a mani-pedi, or indulging in another wellness ritual of your preference. If you must have something sweet, instead of trekking to the newest custard stand, whip up a naturally sweet fruit-based dessert, such as peanut butter and banana nice cream, grilled peaches, or fruit pops.
7. You Logged More Miles on the Road (or in the Air) Than Usual
“During the summer, people tend to travel more both domestically and internationally,” says Feller. “Rest stops and airports offer candy and sugar-sweetened beverages.” Read: You may be snacking a little too much on Skittles and M&Ms or sugary lattes.
Solution Stash healthy snacks in your suitcase for any future family travel. For example, bring your own no-sugar-added fruit-and-nut bars (RXBars are a registered-dietitian favorite) or portion-controlled bags of nuts (the National Institute on Aging (NIA) recommends a 1-ounce portion of your favorite unsalted variety) as an alternative to sodium-laden chips. If you’re traveling domestically, USA Today notes, portable fruit, such as a fresh apple or pear, is a healthy alternative to processed candy, according to the NIA.
8. You’ve Put Too Much Pressure on Yourself
If your hectic summer schedule or your trips to the beach have had you fearing weight gain, resist any urge to deprive yourself or dive into following a restrictive fad diet. Doing so may do your waistline more harm than good.
The authors of a study published in September 2017 in Public Health Nutrition concluded that skipping breakfast and an afternoon snack were correlated with a higher risk for obesity. And health professionals agree that most diets offer a Band-Aid but not a long-term solution to keeping weight off.
Even worse, among adult women, the pressure to achieve an idealized body type isn’t unusual, research shows. Findings cited in a review published in July 2015 in Advances in Eating Disorders note that women who feel a societal pressure to look young and thin may be at a higher risk for eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia. Some women may even restrict what they eat to avoid weight gain, the researchers write.
Solution Instead of depriving yourself or giving yourself a guilt trip, enjoy your food — and don’t regret the good times you’ve had with it. If you feel that you’ve overindulged and that’s the reason your jeans are snugger than they were in the spring, that’s okay. Ultimately, know that you can get back on track with a mind-set shift and a concrete plan.
“I work with my clients on finding the next opportunity to do a U-turn,” says Cassetty. “I’ve found that people are really successful with managing their weight when they don’t set an arbitrary date in the future, like Labor Day, to return to healthful habits.”
In other words, don’t wait: Get back on track immediately. “If you go to a barbecue and overdo it, don’t think, ‘I blew it,’” says Cassetty. “Feel satisfied with that eating occasion. And the next time you sit down to eat, think about the foods that make you feel lean and energized.”
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