It's full-on summertime here in Washington! This means hot days, swimming, camping,
travel, and summer BBQs are ramping up. Not to mention, the kids are out of school and schedules are all over the place. This can seem like a really difficult time to focus on your own health goals. But I assure you, it is still possible, and I want to share some tips to help keep you your number one priority!
SUMMER SCHEDULE: The first thing I highly recommend doing is sitting down and writing out your summer schedule - on paper - like the "old days". I think we humans are very visual creatures, and it can be challenging to zoom out if we are relying on just our phone calendar or flying by the seat of our pants. Spend some time filling in the next 2-3 months with your vacations and events.
WEEKLY PLAN: Next, pick your least busy day of the week and use this to time-block your week. Block your time for work, kids' events, BBQ's, workouts, walks, meals, etc. Again, this gives you a visual of your week and what it looks like. Including where you do and don't have time for yourself. You can see where to schedule workouts and walks. I think this is a great practice to get into doing weekly since, for most of us, the weeks can vary. So, it may not be realistic to say that you are going to work out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 6pm. But it should be manageable to get in 3 days per week of intentional movement. You just have to know where you actually have time to do this and schedule it in for yourself.
WEEKLY PREPARE: Use your least busy day to also prepare some food for the week and make sure you have clothes available for your workouts (yeah... laundry!). You do not have to prepare full meals BUT you should at least prepare some protein sources and veggies and have a list of meals that you plan to have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I find it easiest to eat the same things for breakfast and lunch each day during the week and vary my dinners.
WEEKEND/TRAVEL/EVENTS:
Have a few non-negotiables for your weekend, while you are traveling, or on days with social events. I recommend these two - start each day with a big protein filled breakfast and a walk. Pretty simple but will start your day off strong!
Focus on protein! Each meal and snack should have some form of protein to keep you full and keep your goals in the forefront.
Drink your water! Shoot for half of your body weight in ounces per day. If you are extra hot and sweaty, consider adding some electrolytes to your day.
Set a realistic alcohol consumption limit for yourself. Drink water between each alcoholic beverage.
Have some easy and healthy on the go snacks with you - turkey jerky, fresh fruit, protein powders or bars, chopped veggies and hummus, nuts or trail mix.
Bring a dish to share that includes protein and/or veggies and/or fruit. A simple fruit tray is great, and you can make a tasty Greek yogurt dip to go with it. Veggies with hummus is a good one as well!
When going to a restaurant, choose lean, fresh proteins and pair it with veggies or a salad! Look at menus ahead of time so you know what options you have and pick what you want beforehand and stick to it. This can help eliminate some of the social pressure!
While these tips are great for the summer hustle and bustle, they are also appropriate for every time of the year. YOU have to be the one to prioritize yourself. Put yourself on your schedule, make some non-negotiables for yourself, and hold yourself accountable. If you are struggling with this, you can always reach out for a chat!
Take care and enjoy the sunshine!
Liz
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