summertime-fitness-couple

So summer is almost here and many of us are trying to get our beach bodies in shape. But ironically when the warm weather hits there are dangers lurking around every corner that can be bad for your health and undo your diet and exercise diligence rather quickly.

So for this week’s Top 10 I’ve put together my list of Fitness and Diet Dangers that you need to be aware off! Follow these tips and they’ll help you stay lean and mean all summer long!

1.  Don’t Fill Up On Fruit Salad! – Yes I know fruit is healthy, tasty and contains many nutrients. BUT it’s also loaded in sugar (natural) and can be relatively high in calories. Just ¾ cup can contain up to 100 calories or 25 grams of sugar, so be sure to moderate how much you eat. I know I can eat bowlfuls of fruit salad – especially the variety with grapes and pineapple!

2. Dehydration Danger – When the suns out more and more people get active outdoors  -which is great! But on a hot day without proper hydration you run the risk of becoming dehydrated which will leave you feeling fatigued, nauseous, light headed and in some cases you may even pass out! So before you head outside for a workout make sure you stay adequately hydrated and even consider a low calorie electrolyte drink if you’ll be sweating a lot.

3. Sneaky Salads – This one’s a year round issue but in the summer there’s almost always some sort of salad at BBQ’s and get-togethers. The issue with salad is simple – we often ruin a basic meal with everything we add to it! Fried chicken, cheeses, bacon, high fat dressings, croutons etc., all add tons of empty calories. So look for salads that are dry, use the toppings sparingly and only sprinkle enough dressing for taste.

4. Finger Food Fillers – When you go to a family event do you have the ‘bowl’ table? This is the table that has various (huge) bowls filled with chips, pretzels and all sorts of bagged junk. During conversation you can easily jam in hundreds of calories by taking multiple handfuls. Look it’s okay to taste these foods, but put them on a plate, sit far away and don’t go back for seconds!

5. Follow The Road Rules – There’s always a huge influx of riders and runners during the summertime – but that also means there’s an increased risk for road hazards and accidents. So drivers need to be on the lookout for runners and cyclists on the road, and all of you fitness fans need to be aware of the traffic around you. Be sure to wear brightly colored clothing – even in the daytime – carry your cell with you in case of emergency and don’t allow yourself to drift off to your favorite workout tracks.

6. Beware Of The Beer – For me there’s nothing quite like an ice-cold Corona with a lime on a hot summers day. But while at a BBQ, the beach or at a party, I can easily drink a six-pack over the course of a day. That’s about 600 calories or more of useless calories. So now, when I do drink beer (once every 2 – 3 months) I limit myself to just 3 and include them in my calorie content for the day.

7. Coffees, Creamers and Ccinos! – This is for all you coffee-heads out there (my hand’s raised!) Ice coffee is great and refreshing in the hot summer sun. But if you’re like me and you add cream, you can add an additional 200 calories to your daily total a few coffees later. For some reason people like to ‘forget’ the calories they use in coffee and that’s a big no-no. And I assume I don’t have to tell you that all of the designer iced-ccinos are pure junk!

8. Slather On The Sunblock – I know this is a no brainer but I still see tons of people exercising outside with NO sunblock on.  Yes SOME sun is good for you, but sunburn is not. Whether out for a run, a bike ride or even a fun time in the pool – protecting your skin is absolutely necessary. Skin cancer is a major killer, and in many cases preventable. You have no excuse to not take a few minutes and cover yourself.

9. Don’t Fill Up On Fro-Yo! – Okay so we all know most ice creams are loaded with fat and sugar right? So as a result many people opt for the ‘healthier’ frozen yogurt when it is in fact almost the same nutritionally! Sure frozen yogurt has a few fewer calories and a tad less fat, but that doesn’t mean you can eat it carte blanche. I see people with huge cups and cones topped with all sorts of junk that jacks up the calories – sometimes up to 500 in a large size. If you want fro-yo, get a small size and throw fresh strawberries or nuts on top

10. Sugar Loaded Lemonade – From little kids with their 5 cents stands to family parties, lemonade is everywhere in the summer. The problem is that in most cases it’s sweetened with bucketfuls of sugar and weighs in at about 100 calories per 8 ounces. A large cup can contain up to 250 calories of pure sugar so I suggest you stay away and instead opt for unsweetened real-brewed tea. Add a touch of honey and lemon and you’ve got a refreshing low calorie drink!

Okay – those are my 10 tips… how many are you guilty off? Got anymore to add yourself? Fire away…