Stay Cool This Summer - No Ice Cream Necessary
Summer weight loss can help you feel good and look great. In theory, weight loss should be easy: the heat can kill your appetite, so you might expect to lose weight easily. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out this way.
Sneaky summer weight gain can happen to you if you’re not careful. You may be guilty of passing up a balanced meal because you have “no appetite,” but finding that the ice cream in the freezer looks quite appetizing. Or maybe you find yourself so thirsty you reach for whatever sugary beverage is closest to you.
Combine these bad moves with the challenge of exercising in the extreme heat, and you may start to understand why the pounds don’t always peel off as quickly as you’d like. You can find a happy balance, though. It’s possible to snack well during the summer while enjoying yourself and losing weight. Here are some ideas to get you through the long summer days feeling like you are a part of the fun. They are all bariatric friendly and great for any dieter.
A Cold, Energizing Treat
Think of summer, and you can’t help but think of ice cream, snow cones, and ice pops. Dig in, though, and you’ll probably feel a sugar high and then fatigue from the sugar crash that follows. That’s because you’re looking at a load of calories and sugar. A single scoop from an ice cream parlor can run you over 300 calories before adding toppings.
Instead, opt for a high-protein, low-sugar cold treat. BariatricPal Protein Pudding can be a satisfying snack that takes only minutes to prepare before you chill it. You can also try any of our simple, reduced-carb dessert recipes such as banana splits, frozen fruit dream cups, and cheesecake.
Refreshing without a Sugar Crash
The best way to get through the summer heat is to sip all day…but on what? Order a healthy-sounding smoothie or a “simple” coffee drink, and you may have more calories than you wanted to get in for an entire meal. We think Protein Fruit Drinks and Smoothies are way better choices.
We have all kinds of cool and refreshing drink recipes to try. They range from fruit-based drinks to iced coffees, shakes, and smoothies. You can be sure you can get away with far fewer calories and far less sugar than you might if you popped into the nearest coffee shop or smoothie shop.
We firmly believe weight loss should be enjoyable and doable at any time of the year. There’s no reason to feel deprived while you lose weight, or to hit a weight loss plateau because you were tempted to go off your diet. Instead, choose great-tasting summer snacks so you can stick to the plan and hit your summer goals.
