Why Do People Gain Weight in the Summer?

The summer is often considered the season for weight loss because people usually wear less clothing and want to look good for the beach, vacation or other outdoor events. While many people want to lose weight in the summer, it is also a season that can promote massive weight gain because of overindulgence and lax exercise rountines.

Vacations

• Many people gain weight during vacations because they see it as a time to throw diets and nutritional plans out the window and overindulge in alcohol, drinks and unhealthy foods. Being relaxed with your diet can lead to surprising weight gain by the end of the season. This is the case especially if you take multiple vacations during the summer that involve lots of resting and lazing around. If your caloric intake is higher than your activity level during vacations, you risk gaining weight.

Cookouts

• Cookouts are not necessarily a bad thing during the summer; it's the amount of food you consume and the amount of cookouts you attend that can cause you to gain weight during the summer. Cookouts don't always offer the healthiest foods (such as burgers, hot dogs), so consuming high volumes of these fatty foods lead to incremental increases in your body fat percentage and cause you to gain weight.

Workouts

• Inconsistency with workouts is one of the major problems that cause people to gain weight in the summer. Many gym-goers opt for outdoor activities rather than going to the gym during the summer. Those accustomed to weight-training become inconsistent with it and begin losing muscle to fat, resulting in weight gain. While the summer can be a relaxing time, maintaining a proper strength-training and cardiovascular regimen can be the difference between a 10-pound weight gain and a 10-pound weight loss.

Solution

• Keep active as much as possible during the summer. There are many simple activities such as hiking, swimming, biking or walking that you can do without having to step into a gym. Consistently perform physical activity at least three times a week. While cheat days are allowed and encouraged when following a nutritional plan, it's advisable to stay close to your diet plan as possible, particularly if you have a low metabolism or are prone to gaining weight.

Misconceptions

• Don't solely count calories one-by-one to prevent weight gain in the summer. While calorie-counting is an integral part of weight management, it is closely associated with other factors such as eating habits and physical activity. Electrolyte drinks and energy drinks are not good substitutes for water. Because muscle is made up of water and protein, drink sufficient amounts to keep your metabolism up and prevent weight gain.