It’s hard to believe that July 4th has already come and gone—summer is more than officially in full swing. The longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures often mean more social gatherings and trips (not to mention a ton of weddings) where we’re more likely to be around more indulgent foods, nostalgic treats, or alcoholic drinks than we usually are. I’ve been helping a lot of my clients plan ahead and come up with ways to deal so they can enjoy their favorites without feeling guilty or wasting precious energy overthinking. I hate things like “guilt-free” this, that, or the other thing, but let’s be real—nothing kills the mood like a food guilt spiral. Rather than offer up low-cal approximations of summer favorites, though, I focus more on making room for the stuff you really want.
Just a few examples:
- Choose between a burger bun or fries.
- Want a margarita? Try a taco salad instead of instead of the tortilla.
- Look at wine as a carb in your meal, so make room by swapping out a serving of bread, rice, pasta, potato, or another source of carbohydrate.
- If you know you’re going to want to take an after-dinner ice cream run, skip the afternoon popsicle
It’s really all about choosing what your priorities are—and by the way, if you’re, like, “Fuck this ‘either/or’ business, I want the bun and the fries” that’s fine. Just know that you can make space in your day elsewhere perhaps by trimming a carb serving somewhere else or forgoing alcohol. Rather than beat yourself up and get into an “I’ve blown it” funk, know that you can make choices that help you feel on track as soon as your next eating occasion rather than going down the food-shame rabbit. There’s nothing good down there.
Another great way to make room for your favorite treats is to enjoy healthy, balanced meals and snacks as the bulk of your diet for a little 80/20 action—meaning 80% healthy stuff, 20% stuff that may not be “healthy” but which feeds your soul.
Here are some of my favorite healthy summer recipes:
Glutathione-Rich Superfod Smoothie
Instant Pot Chicken (because who wants to slave over the stove?)
Berries and Salted Whipped Cream
There’s plenty more where that came from! Hop on over to my Recipes page for more.
By the way, I’ve still got a couple spots left for 1:1 clients, so if you’re interested in working together contact me here to book a complimentary consult to discuss how I can help you reach your health and fitness goals this summer without giving up what you love or feeling miserable on a straight-and-narrow #diet.
What are your favorite summer foods?
This has been another installment of the Running with Spoons Thinking Out Loud link party, where randomness is the name of the game. Thanks to Amanda for hosting.
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