It seems hard to keep weight off in the summer because of all the parties and barbecues, but there so much fun! You don’t want to miss out because you’re afraid of gaining weight. So how can you still have fun without gaining the weight? Is it possible? The answer is YES! You can totally have your cake and eat it too. You can enjoy yourself just as much as your friends who aren’t concerned about their diet. The trick is to substitute your food and drinks. For example, if you want a hot dog (because you know every barbecue has them so you have got to have one, it wouldn’t be the same if you didn’t) have a chicken hot dog instead. They are just as delicious! And they are half the sodium and fat of a real hot dog. Hot dogs are VERY high in sodium. They are also VERY high in fat, so this little change makes a big difference. I personally like them better. Actually, I love them! And i don’t feel bad about myself after eating one.
Another food you should most definitely substitute is a hamburger. Some hamburgers are VERY high in fat, depending on the brand that you buy, but in general, they are no good. So the question is, how can you still feel like you’re eating a hamburger without getting all of the fat that comes with it? You buy turkey and veggie burgers! They are so good and I personally love these too. I eat veggie burgers almost every day of my life. They are about 100 calories and I have two of them every time. They are my favorite and I can have two of them and still not feel guilty, because they are healthy and low in fat. They have about 3 grams of fat, compared to a normal hamburger which has 28 grams of fat. That’s a big change. That’s a very important change in which you will definitely see in your body throughout the summer. If I ate two hamburgers, I would have had consumed about 600 calories and about 40 plus grams of fat in one sitting. I would feel like a whale. Whereas the veggie burgers would give me only 6 grams of fat for two of them and 200 calories. BIG DIFFERENCE! The turkey burgers have about 12 grams of fat, a little high but not bad at all if you just have one. And they are still a greater choice versus eating real hamburgers on any day.
I also use whole wheat hot dog and hamburger buns. I NEVER use white! That also makes a HUGE difference. White bread is made with flour which makes you still feel hungry after eating it. You’ll never feel full. That’s why I hate eating pizza because I love it so much that I can eat about 8 slices before I actually start to feel full! So, eat only wheat bread. Also, try to eat a lot of salads and veggies to fill you up. That’s always a good thing to do. Those are the most important things to know about how to eat healthy at barbecues, but now comes another hard part. The drinks!
Everyone loves to have a few beers at barbecues and for some people the beer is the hardest part to resist, but it doesn’t have to be anymore! You can make smart choices in the beer that you drink that will not hurt your diet as much, and you just have to limit your intake. For example, instead of having a Budweiser or Blue Moon, switch to a light beer such as Miller Light or Bud Light. But I personally think the best beer to have is Michelob Ultra light beer. It’s the lowest in calories. If you can get your hands on any ULTRA light beer, that’s the way to go because you’re not getting any lower in calories than that. Those are my top summer weight loss tips when you want to look your best!
