Does it seem impossible to rein in your summer weight gain? If you are yelling a big “YES” at me right now, I can totally understand. With all the late-night ice cream runs and cook-outs, it can be hard to keep your waist line in check.

My family is reunited for the summer and there is nothing we like better than to eat! In fact, our best vacations revolve around visiting food joints featured on “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.”

We just returned from a trip to Springfield, Missouri (may I say it’s a loooong way from Florida, but I digress…). We had a great time checking out all the new food joints that have popped up since we lived there a couple of decades ago. Then, they have this stuff up in Missouri called frozen custard, which is basically the best ice cream you’ll ever eat!

Now, any of you who’ve read this blog before know I am into fitness and weight management, but I can tell you I was no angel on this trip. Still, when the dust settled and I finally stepped on the scale again in the confines of my bathroom, I was relieved to find my weight had not skyrocketed.

So, I am retracing my last week to give you a few practical tips to help you rein in your summer weight gain.

Tips To Rein In Your Summer Weight Gain

1. Prioritize Vacation Meals

Try to prioritize your vacation meals. It’s really tough when every meal is a restaurant meal, so it helps to think through your day before you eat your first meal. If you know you are going to eat a fisherman’s feast for dinner, then take it easier on your earlier meals.

2. Do Not Starve Yourself In Anticipation Of A Big Night Meal

Having told you to prioritize your vacation meals, I now need to say, “Do Not Starve Yourself In Anticipation Of A Big Night Meal!” Hungry tummies want food and they want it fast, so the likelihood of overeating at the end of a long foodless day is extremely high.

I know it seems counter-intuitive, but our bodies just don’t work like a math equation. You will think a lot clearer and make better food choices if you are not starving.

3. Modify Versions Of Your Favorite Foods

I already mentioned how much I enjoyed the frozen custard in Springfield. My absolute favorite sundae is the Ozark’s Turtle, which is a concoction consisting of caramel, hot fudge, pecans and frozen custard. Although, I’m crazy about the whole calorie-laden mess, I am most fond of the pecans. So, I ordered a smaller size of chocolate custard with a topping of pecans and I was extremely satisfied on our multiple evening trips for custard.

4. Do The Best With What You Have

Sometimes, it’s just not easy to make good food choices when you’re away from home. The place we stayed had no breakfast, so we were left to our own devices each morning, which meant we often chose to eat fast food. When you don’t have a lot of food options, then just go with good enough.

Fast food restaurants are notorious for high calorie options, so I tried to make the best of what I had to work with. Unfortunately, I’m not crazy about eggs, which can seriously limit my breakfast options. If I ordered a breakfast biscuit, then I only ate the meat with the smaller half of the biscuit. Was this a perfect option…No…but it did significantly reduce my calorie intake.

5. Squeeze In Exercise When You Can

Sometimes, you’ve just got to squeeze in exercise when you can. It has been impossible for me to get to the gym this summer, so I have had to come up with creative alternatives. When we visited the large Bass Pro Shop mother store, I walked laps around the aisles while my husband drooled over all the manly-man stuff. Every little bit of movement helps.

These five tips helped me survive ten days away from home and I hope they’ll do the same for you. Also, check out my other post on the Vacation Fat Mentality.

Do you have some favorite tips for surviving summer weight gain? If so, I would love to hear them in the comments below.

In fact, if I get enough good tips, I’ll compile them in a future post to motivate and inspire everyone else through the rest of the summer.

Make every day count and take a mental snapshot to play over again and again in the future!