Summer is here! No matter where you are on your weight loss journey, summer is often a time that comes with an extra boost of motivation. On the surface, it might seem that motivation stems from bathing suit season, but we’d like to argue that it comes from a place of increased energy and drive that waltzes in with long days of sunshine. No matter what motivates you, here is a 5-day summer weight loss challenge that you can start today.

Day 1: Hydrate the Calorie-Savvy Way

We’re starting simple, but how you hydrate is one of the most impactful changes you can make to help you meet your weight loss goals. It’s hot out, so it only makes sense that you’ll need more hydration in the summer. But here’s the thing: all those refreshing summer beverages add up quickly.

Take stock of what you usually drink. Think about weekdays, weekends, garden parties, outdoor activities, road trips and anything else you regularly get up to in the summer. How much water do you see on your list? How many other beverages are on your list? Soft drinks, alcohol, juice, lemonade, iced tea… you might be surprised to see how many different drinks you’re consuming.

Your best choice for summer hydration (actually, year-round hydration!) is water. But that doesn’t mean it has to be boring. Infused waters are a fantastic way to stay hydrated while keeping things interesting. Mint, lemon, grapefruit, orange, berries, watermelon, basil… the options are pretty much endless. Invest in an insulated water bottle to always have cool water with you when you’re on the go.

Day 2: Skip the Meal Skipping

On Day 2, we’re focusing on your meals and working towards consistency. Skipping meals is a tempting pattern to fall into when you want to lose weight, but it often backfires. When you skip meals, your hunger builds up, and then instead of being at a normal level of hungry at the next meal, you’re ravenous and much more likely to overeat. Plus, you’ll often have extra-strong cravings for highly palatable foods like sweets.

Think about your usual patterns around skipping meals in the summer. Do you skip meals frequently, thinking it will help you decrease your overall calories? Or do you find yourself without enough time to eat certain meals because you’re constantly on the go? Or do you skip on days when you have activities planned, like going to the beach?

A little planning goes a long way. Brainstorm a list of easy, healthy meals that you can keep ingredients stocked in your fridge and pantry (it could be as simple as a green salad with tuna). Keep it light and simple with vegetables and protein so you’ll be full and satisfied without overdoing it on the calories.

Day 3: Up Your Breakfast Protein

Carb-only breakfasts are a common weight loss trap. No matter what summer plans you have in store for the day, you’ll want to fuel up on a high-protein breakfast. Higher protein breakfasts keep you feeling full for longer and help you burn more fat throughout the day.

Think about what you currently eat for breakfast. Is it primarily carbs? How soon after breakfast do you usually feel hungry again? How could you modify your breakfast to include more protein?

Build your breakfast around lean protein and healthy fat. Eggs are a 5-star protein option for breakfast. They’re versatile (boiled, poached, scrambled, omelette, egg muffins…), and they pair perfectly with herbs, vegetables and healthy fats like avocado and extra-virgin olive oil. Plus, they pack a protein and nutrient punch.

Day 4: Be a Smart Social Eater 

Summer is often full of barbecues, potlucks and other social eating settings. You don’t want to miss out on these social occasions, but you also don’t want to derail your weight loss goals.

How do you usually fill your plate at a summer gathering? Do you pile it as high as possible? Do you always go back for seconds just because there’s food there, even if you’re not hungry? Do you usually feel overly full, bloated and lethargic afterwards?

Here are your tips for Day 4:

• Fill your plate, but don’t pile food on top of food.
• Fill half your plate with vegetables before heading to the grill (if you know there won’t be much in the way of veggie dishes available at a barbecue or a potluck, bring a veggie dish to share!).
• If you want to try multiple things, cut off smaller pieces instead of taking an entire piece of everything.
• Choose only the foods that look really good. If it looks so-so, skip it.
• After you finish your plate, wait at least 10-15 minutes before returning for seconds. That gives your body time to register whether or not you’re full from the first plate (hint: you usually are!).

Following these tips means you won’t miss out on any social summer gatherings, but you’ll also feel better and stay on track with your weight loss goals.

Day 5: Avoid the Dessert Trap

Social occasions often come with lots of desserts. But, how often have you loaded up your dessert plate only to discover that you didn’t even enjoy most of the options? Did you eat it all anyway? Totally understandable, but, unfortunately, it’s not helping your weight loss goals.

Be choosey. It’s not about eating as much as you can; it’s about enjoying what you eat. If your favourite dessert of all time is on the table, and you know you’ll savour every mouthful, then go for a small portion and do just that: enjoy it. Pay attention while eating, and you’ll probably feel perfectly satisfied afterwards.

However, if you’re scanning the table and it all looks so-so, then opting out of dessert might be the best option. Contrary to popular belief, eating dessert is not an obligation! If there’s fresh fruit, choose some of that instead. Again, pay attention and enjoy while eating, so you feel satisfied afterwards.

Takeaway

Take your summer weight loss goals day by day, focusing on one thing at a time. In five days, you can build up five new behaviours to kickstart your summer weight loss.