SAD

Seasonal changes affect both diet and exercise...

SPRING:

1. flush out winter’s waste products from your body with something like the fat flush water
2. kick start you diet before the hot summer arrives because then all you will want to do is relax

SUMMER:

1. your metabolism is naturally boosted
2. your body is most resistant to putting on fat
3. summer heat can decrease your appetite
4. you will sweat a lot, so make sure you rehydrate often
5. drink water, not sugary high calorie drinks
6. summer heat can also make you feel lethargic so it makes being active much harder

Although summer is the most optimal time of the year to diet and exercise for weight loss, if you aren’t careful, the exact opposite will happen. Don’t give in to too much temptation during the hot summer months...cutesy cocktails with umbrellas, ice cream concoctions, bbq food served in buns or smothered in sauces should be occasional treats and not daily menu items.

The top three ways to avoid summer weight gain are:
1.drink plenty of water
2.keep active...early in the morning or later in the evening when weather is cooler...or go to an air conditioned gym
3.enjoy summer's fresh fruits and vegetables in lighter meals such as salads, wraps and smoothies

FALL:

1. you begin to develop a heartier appetite
2. your body wants to store fat for the cold weather ahead
3. fall is prime for exercising (outdoors or at the gym) before you get snowed in

WINTER:

1. in winter your metabolism slows
2. winter is the perfect time to catch up on tv shows that you missed during the busy summer which takes time away from exercising
3. the weather is cold and all we want to do is curl up on the couch with some comfort food
4. Wearing layers, a necessary evil during winter, doesn’t help with your fitness goals, it allows you to hide your body under clothes that tend to hide your figure

And of course all seasons have holidays that make it hard to stick to your guns where healthy eating is concerned. Enjoy those holidays...and make up for it in boosted workout sessions for a few days afterwards :)

THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:

How do the seasons affect your diet and exercise?

Oddly enough, I find winter much easier to stick to my routine. With diet, there is only the holiday season to get through with it's many temptations. With exercise, I don't spend time outdoors like I do in summer, so that time is gladly filled with workouts.

In summer, there are just too many temptations dietwise...bbqs (especially hamburgers & hotdogs), ice cream, drinks (especially sangria) out on the patio, fresh baking at yard sales and farmers markets, caramel macchiato iced coffee!! And workouts...I much prefer lounging outside in the breezy fragrant air reading a book :)

Spring and fall are much the same as winter for me...watching what I eat and getting in an hour of exercise almost every day is no problem at all.

NEXT WEEK'S BLOG: Good To Know

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DISCLAIMER: Whenever I use the word DIET in my blog posts I am in no way suggesting that I have invented/discovered some miracle system to lose weight. Whenever I use the word DIET, I am simply substituting a single word to replace the longer phrase EATING HEALTHIER THAN IN THE PAST.