The Friday of Memorial Day weekend I saw a post in a group that I’m in that said something along the lines of “It’s the unofficial start to summer in Minnesota, which means lots of BBQs, grad parties, and weddings. Previously I made it my goal to only gain 10 lbs. over summer, but this year I am making it a goal to only gain 5 lbs.” I thought to myself, “if your ultimate goal is to lose weight, why would you give yourself a summer goal of gaining weight?”
Why do we have to sacrifice our goals and feeling good just to have a fun summer? Well, honestly, we don’t! We can still work towards our goals and enjoy our summer. We can go to the BBQs and various parties and still make progress towards our goals. After I read the post, I made a promise and commitment to myself that I would keep working towards my goals all summer long. I don’t need a hot girl summer to enjoy summer – my husband and kids don’t care about all of that, they care about me being healthy and present.
We go home from a 9 day vacation on Monday – we drove about 1,800 miles, visited 5 different states, slept in 3 different states, and did a lot of exploring! I enjoyed treats and meals out with my family as well as making meals in our hotel room (life hack – get a room with a kitchenette, especially if traveling with kids). I made healthy choices and also had treats. I drank pop but made sure to also have lots of water and I LOST 3 lbs. while on vacation. How? Balance! I didn’t deprive or restrict myself and you don’t have to either in order to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle – you can still enjoy life and reach your goals. Establishing balance and boundaries requires some serious courage and work. It means making hard or uncomfortable changes. But it is absolutely worth it!
Since coming home from vacation I have been a little slack especially when it comes to my water intake and movement. I have blamed it on being way off schedule while on vacation, but the truth is – screens! I spent far less time on screens while on vacation. While I did scroll during the times my husband drove, I also read a lot. In our room, I didn’t watch TV because of our boys, but now I am scrolling way more and binge-watching shows instead of reading or getting movement in.
While the weather has not helped with getting out for walks or being motivated, it’s not an excuse to set my goals aside. I can still sit and read, drink my water, be mindful of my nutrition, and get movement in. There are plenty of workouts/exercises that can be done at home. My goal is to be down to 190 lbs. by Labor Day!
Here are my Healthy Girl Summer before stats from June 2nd:
Weight: 208.2 lbs. Body Fat: 49.6% Body Water: 34.6% Muscle Mass: 47.4%
Total Inches: 298.78
