Last Updated on April 19, 2021 by Andrew Blakey
With the summer coming to an end, many of us may have noticed that our new shirt or sundress we bought at the beginning of the summer is fitting just a little bit more snug then before… It’s just from the dryer right? Another sign is that maybe the abs that were beginning to come out prior to the summer, aren’t exactly out to play anymore. You may be asking yourself “What’s the deal?”.
Seasons Effect On Weight Gain
Summer is a season of being outside, enjoying the weather, playing sports and being active right? Absolutely!
Summer is also a season of BBQ’s, patios, caesars, and ciders. It’s easy for a weekend away with the boys/girls, to pack on a pound or two. Don’t worry, it’s a lot more common than you would think! Our bodies go through cycles throughout the year that goes back to our animal instincts. Much like a bear hibernating for winter, our body begins to increase our liver fat production to help ‘prepare’ for the winter. This is also why diabetics need to be careful during the winter months as their levels of glycated haemoglobin tend to creep up. With our body wanting to store more fat during these next couple months, it’s especially important to ensure you keep up with exercise and eating properly.
So what can we do to lose the weight we may have gained over the summer as well as ensure we don’t gain any unwanted weight the next couple months?
Avoid Forming Bad Habits
With it getting dark around 5 pm during the fall months, it’s easy for us to come home from work and plop down on the couch with a plate of nachos and a movie. Although this isn’t bad for us once in a while, if we begin doing this multiple times per week, it will add up and that’s when you get the additional weight gain occuring (especially with all the new netflix and tv specials coming out in the fall months). You’d be surprised with how quickly a case of pop disappears when you’re not being conscious of the meals you’re consuming. That leads us to our next point.
Track Your Food Consumption
If you’re one of the many people who may have gained a couple pounds over the summer, no worries, we’ll get back to where we want to be in no time! One way to do this is to track the food you eat. This can be as simple or as complicated as we make it out to be. It can be on a blank sheet of paper with days of the week and what you ate when. Or you can be more precise and use an app such as myfitnesspal which can track exactly what you ate, how much, and the calories/macros in the food. You can then use this information alongside a dietitian to make an exact plan for what to eat in order to lose that unwanted weight. If anyone needs a suggestion for a dietitian, I know a great one!
Invest In Your Health
If you’re one of the people who know they need to start working out but the only problem is you don’t know where to start then you’re in the right place. One of the things I offer is an intro to working out program, message me either on facebook or instagram to find out more!
If you’d rather start doing it on your own, there’s hundreds of workouts you can find online simply by typing in google ‘beginners full body workout’ . There’s so many options for you to get started, you just need to be proactive and go get them. Investing in your health doesn’t mean you have to spend money, investing your time into working out is just as valuable.
If you are able to spend money, consider hiring a personal trainer. When searching for a personal trainer it’s important to look at their certifications, and whether or not they have insurance. They should also have you fill out some forms about your health history, any injuries you may have, and what your goals are. If they’re missing one of these, this is a big red flag. Also make sure the two of you click, if you’re not enjoying working with your trainer then maybe your personalities don’t match and it’s time to find a new one!
Make It A Goal To Workout At Least Twice A Week
There’s no reason that you can’t find at least two hours a week to workout. Unless you’re the prime minister of Canada, or run a fortune 500 company (both of which probably workout themselves as well), you should be able to find TWO hours a week to workout and invest in your health. It you’re short on time, consider trying to find HIIT workouts, these are usually a bit shorter and give you an awesome sweat going… just make sure you choose one that’s at your skill level (don’t try and do too much too quickly, as this is how injuries occur).
As always, thanks for reading and supporting our blog! Send us a message on Facebook or Instagram or our Contact page for any personal training inquiries or blog post ideas!
Written by Andrew Blakey | Owner
