Why Food Habits Change During Summer
For many people food habits often do change during Summer. Why is this?
You have lots of reasons to make changes in your food habits during the Summer. Some of them are outta your control, as when family and friends invite you to go somewhere, or do something with them. The following can easily throw a ‘kink’ in the new habits you’re attempting to form:
- Vacations
- Special Road Trips
- Birthday Parties
- Kids’ Sleepovers
- Weddings
- Baptisms
- Anniversary Parties
- Special Events (Family, Local, Games, Children’s Activities)
- Date Nights
- Girls Night Out
- Musical Events
- Movies
- Celebrations of Life
- Friend Get-Togethers
- Reunions
- Girl’s Weekend
- And for Locals: The Boardwalk (OK visitors too…lol)
The common denominator in all of these activities is food. Add drink to some of them, as ‘drink’ is often the best accompaniment to food, especially during the hotter Summer months. So food choices do often change in the Summer.
When you celebrate you want to feel happy
Feeling happy is a normal response to celebrations of any kind. And ‘letting go’ is encouraged at almost all celebrations and special events. Food habits easily change during the summer when you hear:
- ‘oh just this once,’
- ‘c’mon, we’re all blowing it’
- ‘it’s not like it’ll hurt you’
- ‘you’re too (insert adjective) anyway’
Plus any other number of responses from family and friends who are in reality guilt-tripping you into indulging so that they feel better about their choices.
People know when choices aren’t good ones, however they lack the internal resources to stop themselves. And because this often produces guilt, they need to do something that feels good about that ‘choice’ that they’re making. The best one is to get someone else to join them, as this gives them support for a ‘wrong’ choice.
If you’ve hit your goals with your eating habits and know that this one time isn’t going to set you back, as you feel they’re now permanently ingrained into your body, then that’s great! Indulging this one time isn’t gonna be a setback.
However, if you’re still struggling to maintain new eating habits, this could create a huge setback. The biggest one is disregarding yourself and your ‘positive’ choices, by saying ‘oh I already blew it, so might as well give up.’
You also might feel it’s just too hard. And you’re correct: change is hard. Sometimes very hard.
Think of people who might have a constant challenge with alcohol, drugs, gambling, etc, and what they need, in order to overcome habits that no longer serve their new goals. Outside forces can be very very challenging.
Aside from the outside influences and forces, there are the ‘inner forces’ that you might be fighting. And, by the way, these forces are a constant year-round.
Inner forces can work against you too
Inner forces that can change your food habits during Summer include:
- Stress
- Hormonal changes that affect your mood (and can affect your body)
- Lack of available time (not prioritizing what matters most to you)
- Unreliable childcare
- Your partner (or housemates) prefer takeout (and you almost always eat together)
- Picky eaters you’re responsible for
- A frustrating relationship with a family member
- Boss you can’t stand
- Overload at work every day
- Gong out of town for your job (a lot)
- Working overtime too often (making meal prep and choices more difficult)
- Job feels insecure (feels like you’re on pins and needles a lot)
- Maybe you even hate your job
- Partner is out of work, and prospects don’t look good
- Night time ‘wakeups’ are often & you can’t go back to sleep
- Brain is on overdrive and falling asleep takes forever
- Often your knees (or back) hurt while you workout
- Feel ‘tired’ more often than not
- Lack of healthy food prep
- Guilt-tripping yourself for eating the whole slice of cake (big slice)
- It’s hard for your family to accept that you want to make changes with food choices
- Forgot to book a place with a kitchen for your extended trip, and now you have to eat out all the time while you’re gone from home
How many more can you add?
Making smart choices to advance your intentions can be challenging
Remember that every challenge has an override button. You have something within you that can make that change you’re looking to be a permanent part of your life. You do have the override button within you. Changing your food habits during the Summer can be less-than-often instead of more-then-often.
Creating a daily log of your moods and what got in the way is a great way to start working thru this. If you’re on vacation, you can still make smart choices. You can always eat/purchase/choose the lesser of two evils, and be OK with that!
Nobody makes your choices for you, unless you’re in the habit of letting them—OK if that’s the case…we gotta talk (lol…I am serious though). If you’re wondering what would be alternative choices to your challenges, book a consult with me HERE.
The power within you has always been there. You may have many layers to unpeel to get to your power. I can certainly help get you started.
Clara E Minor
Master Instructor-Trainer
MINORSAN Self-Defense & Fitness
Contact me at THIS LINK