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Summer:
The perfect season for weight loss
June 8, 2006
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
For
many of us, the arrival of summer brings with it the realization
that the pounds we’d intended to lose by now haven’t
been shed. Don’t give up: Summertime can be the easiest
time of the year to lose excess weight.
Here’s why.
For starters, the pace is slower for many of us. More time
can translate into fewer meals eaten on the run, which often
leads to impulsive food choices. For those of you with kids,
school is out, and a more leisurely weekday schedule means
meals don’t have to be as structured nor elaborate.
In fact, warm weather lends itself to lighter meals with fewer
calories. During the cool months, many of us prefer hearty
meals of foods that tend to be higher in calories –
cheesy casseroles and pasta dishes, heavy meats with gravies,
and rich baked desserts like cakes and cobblers.
But in the summertime, a tomato sandwich and Popsicle can
hit the spot with a fraction of the calories.
Along with tomatoes, other kinds of seasonal, local fruits
and vegetables are also easy to find: bell peppers, salad
greens, broccoli, cabbage, beets, cucumbers, green beans and
sugar snap peas, melons, sweet corn and fresh basil. These
are the ingredients in many low-cal meals.
And recall how hard it was to get motivated to walk or be
active outdoors when it was dark in the morning when you left
for work and dark again by the time you finished dinner in
the evening. Days are longer now, and an evening walk has
more appeal. According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, a 154-pound person walking for an hour at
a moderate pace burns 280 calories. Do that each day and you’re
on track to lose a quarter pound a week or one pound per month.
Other ways to lose weight now:
* Eat fewer meals. Do you need three meals a day? A lot of
our eating behavior is simply habit. We eat because the hands
on the clock – not our stomachs – tell us it’s
time to eat. Many of us can get by fine with breakfast and
dinner. Have an apple or two mid-day. A two-meals-and-a-snack
schedule can be especially convenient when you’re on
vacation – save money and calories and have more time
for sightseeing. Skipping a meal can save you an easy 500
calories a day. That can be one pound lost each week and four
pounds per month.
* Keep salads in the fridge. With seasonal, locally grown
(the best-tasting) ingredients available – and a little
more time, less pressure, or both – make a salad or
two every few days. Keep big bowls full of marinated cucumbers
and tomatoes, bean salad, slaw, and fruit salad.
* Switch to lo-cal beverages. Stock the refrigerator with
bottles of flavored seltzer water. Use it to dilute lemonade
and limeade or drink it with a wedge of lemon or lime. Drink
water with meals and just say no to sports drinks, regular
soft drinks and sweetened fruit drinks.
* Simplify meals. Wrap a flour tortilla around a scoop of
salad. Spread some pesto on two pieces of whole wheat toast
and add a slice of nonfat cheese. Eat a heaping bowl of fresh
salad and follow it with a slice of cantaloupe. Less cooking,
less clean-up and fewer calories. You’ll come out ahead
nutritionally, too. Summer produce is rich in fiber, vitamins
A and C, iron and other essential nutrients and it’s
devoid of saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol.
Leverage the advantages summer brings and lose a few extra
pounds this summer.
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