Hey and welcome back to Fit Me, Turo fitness podcast, your host, Turo Virta, and today, we are talking about a big one, how to enjoy your summer without gaining weight or losing all the progress you have worked so hard for. This is a topic that comes up every year, especially with my clients, women between 35 and 55 who have been building healthy habits and feeling stronger, leaner and more in control. But when holidays, barbecues, traveling and cocktails come around, suddenly it's a panic time. And here's what I want to say right at the beginning, afraid of summer, you don't need to restrict, compensate or punish yourself. You need a strategy, and that's what what I'm going to give you in this episode. So if you are worried about how to navigate all the social events, the restaurant meals, the change in routine, having some barbecues, some drinks outside, you are in the right place. So let's jump in. So number one is, I like to keep it this in eight, nine most valuable tips, and some of these are, maybe you have heard of them, but maybe, if there is even one thing that comes to your mind that, oh, this is actually a great idea, please start implementing it right away and thinking like that. Of course, we understand that you might forget this. You might So write it down. If you your vacation, if you are at the moment in vacation, you are going to go very soon, write it down somewhere so you have your checklist, 123, things, not more than three. Don't try to get all of them right. But if there's one to three things, write them down. Try to remember. Do them most of the time. This is not perfection. You will forget most likely, if you are human, you are not some robot, you will forget these things. But think it's not, it's not all or nothing. It's all about doing something. And that comes to our first point, and that is let go of all or nothing thinking, because the first the most important mindset shift, summer is not a threat to your progress. It's a season. It's a part of your so if you try to be 100% perfect, you will burn out. You. If you give up completely, you will feel like you failed. So neither of them works in a long term. So we want is flexibility with structure, so a way to have a wine on a terrace, gelato with your kids, and still feel like you are in control. So instead of thinking I'm either on track or off the rails. Ask yourself, what is the one thing I can keep doing no matter what? So there could be so many things like we go later on those things, but think, what is the one thing I can keep doing no matter what? And next question. Second question is that, how can I turn this into seven out of 10 effort instead of all or nothing? So this kind of balance what we want. So if you think that I can't have any alcohol, I can't have any sweets, I can't have any desserts, and if you think that, okay, you are maybe able to keep that all in thinking. But then at some point, when you go get into it, you eat those things, then you are like that. Okay, now I fucked it up. So what is the point anymore, even trying? So ask, How can I turn this into a seven out of 10 effort? So then point number two is set three non negotiables for the week. So if you're on vacation, if you are enjoying your summer, so before a holiday or busy weeks, this is an example I love to ask from my clients before holiday or busy week. So what are your three non negotiables? And these are all small habits that keep you grounded. So for example, drink two to three liters per day. And more precise you are, what is your goal that is more accurate you will be. So it's not just that I drink more water season. One of my favorite strategies with the water is that I tell, for example, three liters. Now it's when, especially in summer, I recommend it's rather three liters or even more. But good way to keep you yourself accountable is that if you have a water bottle, if it's a half liter water bottle, you put six rubber bands around it, and then end of the day you look, you remove every time one pant, when you finish your bottle and when you refill it, then you have six bottles to drink. You get to get your three days, three liters. And this is like with my clients this week. I actually did it with some of them, and they were like that, I answers what I got that I thought that I'm drinking enough, but then when you started to keep track of it, then they were like, Oh, I thought I was drinking much. But in the end, there was, it was not even close to those three leaders. So it's often we overestimate those things if you don't keep some track. And this is just a simple way to keep yourself on track. Then other example, walk 7000 steps. Don't have to be 10,000 it can. It can be, of course, 10,000 but to set some kind of walking, some step call what you can do even in your busiest week. And then third thing, for example, could be to have protein at breakfast. And if you want to be more precise, amount of protein. Let's say that I want to have at least 20 grams, 25 grams of protein at my breakfast. And then you can move forward like what are going to be your protein sources and so on, so you know exactly what you can do. And then you have your three non eco tables for the week. So you don't need to be perfect with everything, but if you can keep up two or three core habits in place, you will feel like you are still showing up for yourself, even when the rest changes. And then point number three is use most days rule, so progress doesn't come from one day or one meal. It comes from what you do most days. So enjoy the occasional croissant, have a cocktail, but also remember that you can start your day with a walk. Order salad with protein, skip the second glass of wine. So none of these things are about restriction. They are about balance. Think, think it like this way that how can I make this day 80% aligned with my goals while still enjoying the 20% so this is often a question, right? Because we have this self talks all the time. Ask. Try to ask yourself, what would be a person with my goals decide in these situations, and if you, like I said, if you have 80% you hit the decisions, or you make smarter decisions, what a person with your goals, would decide in every single moment you are creating the balance while working towards your goals and not against your goals. So and then number four, and this is, I think, very, very helpful way of thinking. And it's, it's eat like you do at home most of the time. So one simple trick that works incredibly well. So when you are traveling, pretend you are still at home 70 to 80% of the time. So what would you eat for breakfast at home? And how would you beat your plate if you were eating lunch at work or at home, and that doesn't mean that you can, you can try new foods or insert the threats. It just means that you are staying anchored in your routine, so when you get home, it doesn't feel like you are starting over. And would pay for me, for example, like, okay, if I'm if I'm in, if I'm traveling, I'm in hotel, I my way of thinking. Of course, I love to, I can't. I don't have same breakfast always as I do home. I like to also try different things. But for me, in in holidays, when i go i My first thought is, how do I get my protein? How do I get my protein comes, what are my sources of protein? I eat those first. I try to make sure to eat at least two pieces of fruit. What I do also at whole and I will eat those things first, and then after that, if I still feel like if I still want to try some cake or from buffet, something what I usually don't have, then I keep permission to do it. But the reason behind this it I eat first, the most beneficial, the most satiating nutrients, protein, fiber, and then after that, if I go for some sweets or something, I likely eat lot less if I would eat them in the picking when I'm still hungry. So this way, I'm allowing it, everything, what I want, but the chance is that I will eat five pieces of cake. What, what I could literally do if I would start with the cake a lot, lot lower than when I start eating protein and Piper and all kind of low calorie, high volume foods, like a quarter or those kind of things that my stomach is already feeling full before I eat, all those kind of good stuff. Then tip number five is snack smarter or not at all. So holidays often come with crazy. So you are, if you are on the pool, there is, there are some chips you are eating snacks at the beach, pastries in the hotel lobby. So here is what I suggest for snacking. So don't just snack because it's there. Snack if you are hungry. So one good way to do this is to using Apple test or simple three minute rule test. So Apple test, I don't know maybe you have heard about it, but ask yourself a question, am I hungry enough to eat an apple? If the answer is yes, eat that apple first and then eat whatever you want. If not, then it's probably just a craving, or you are bored, or whatever. So there is just some emotional eating. And then, if you are not quite sure, the best way the second addition is to set the timer, wait for three minutes and then see if you still want to have it or not that to give time for second thoughts. And then, of course, like another way to do it is to try to snack. If you are snacking, then back high protein or high fiber snacks, like critical decks, through its almonds, those kind of things like, what do you what you would say that these are actually good foods, what my body actually needs, so try to snack. Be little bit smarter with your snacking. Then Tip number six is to stay active, but keep it simple. So you don't need to find a gym on holiday. You don't need to do 60 minute workouts, walk, more, swim, do a quick 15 minute body weight workout, because I like to say that vacation movement is not progression, and it's often time to do those things, what you naturally enjoy like and once you are you are keeping your habits alive and not not trying to set some new records or personal bests. So it's it changes so much that your mindset, when you are thinking that, okay, I'm not even trying to make some progress, because I'm here to maintain everything, and that for maintenance, you don't need to do a lot. It's just literally a couple minute body weight workout. You are able to maintain your muscle mass, even if it's only for a week. You even you don't do anything, it's totally fine. Sometimes your body needs, needs to break. But, of course, it depends all all about your situation, but and if you have a chance often, vacations are best times to walk. More do for go for swim, like that's one of my best place, like in the morning, if it's if I'm in somewhere, in a hot place, there is a chance to swim. It's a 15 minute, 30 minute swim. You feel so great. You have done something, and it's just not all about laying but of course, we are all different. We have all different preferences. What to do someone who is in a highly active holier just want to lay down, read a book, whatever, and not be active at all. But that's and which is also fine, but it's just staying active, but keeping it simple is very, very good way of thinking. Then Tip number seven is to plan your indulgences. So if you know you are going out for dinner or there is a special dessert you want to try, don't panic. It's just plan for it. So one of them like, I don't like to like, I said, don't try to you don't need to compensate anything or or do something. But if you if there is a big desert, okay, one of the best ways is to actually like, this is for social limits. Is often people think that, oh, I have to skip all the meals before I enter to the event. But often it's just eating something before that you are not completely starving when you show up. So having some fruit, having some protein before you show up to that event. If it's a dinner, if it's a dessert, don't panic. It's it's part of the life you and you can. Maybe you can have a bit lighter earlier in the day, like a big salad with some protein. You are staying hydrated. You go for a walk after the meal, not some punishing but just some like movement and because the goal is isn't to compensate, like I said, it's the goal. The goal is always to enjoy without guilt, and get right back to your habits afterward, not trying to say not compensating that now I can't have a breakfast. I have to start skipping meals. Because those things, if you start to do those things, it it often leads that you are it leads to another, cravings, another kind of collapses or or pins, things. And this is not the test. That is not the goal. The goal is to get back on track. You can eat a bit less if you want, but don't completely skip meals or start to compensate, then Tip number eight is that progress isn't measured by the scale, so scale might go up during a trip, but that doesn't mean you have gained fat. Often the weight gain is water retention from salty foods, alcohol, extra carbs or less movement. So don't let that one to two kilo jump trick into you thinking that I have faith. What matters is how quickly you get back to your habits and how you feel. Then last thing, but not least, is an alcohol like this is often in that holidays, and like we have been talking with, with my clients, of course, some people like to have a little bit more alcohol during the holiday, which is totally fine, but especially if you, if you don't usually drink alcohol, or if you, if you like, in summer, summer season, overall, You find yourself that it's class there, class there, another event there, and end of the week you find out that, oh, I nothing happens. And this was actually yesterday, talk with one of my my coaching clients, and she was asking, like that, what I'm what I'm doing wrong, like that, I don't I'm not able to lose weight, but and I asked, and we keep talking, and I asked that, what is, what do you think is your biggest problem? And we found out that she actually might have been drinking way too much. And so it was not like to get, like, literally drunk, but it's 1234, sometimes even more drinks per day, and that is every single day. So it if you think that how many calories you are drinking, how it's that not only calories, but how it's impacting to your sleep. And of course, then when you drink alcohol, your sleep quality won't be even close to the same than without alcohol, even if it's a small amount, then how is that affecting? Again, you are going to be you have you are going to have less energy next day. You are going to move less. Your food choices are going to be not the best ones, or not that you don't have willpower. So it affects everything. So what we did instead, and what you might consider is to actually be accountable for someone like my client decided that she will report it. Of course, you write notes that how many drinks you have had, an example, it depends. Of course, think, like with my client, we decided to create simple rules. Like for her, first goal was to have two days in a week without alcohol. So it's it's always where you are if you are drinking every day. Start with, like we started two days without alcohol. Then we were then I was asking that, what do you think that how many portions per week you could have, or how many portions per day at the most you could have? Or you would say that this was a it was not too much. And for her, where we are starting is that that never more than four portions per day. So then I asked that, what you say then that weekly goal that we have, what we have said now is two days without alcohol, and then, on the other hand, not more than four portions of four glasses of wine or beer or whatever in day. I said, that leaves you five days with four so you have a 20 portions. Oh, that's too much. But then we decided, okay, it's going to be then 15 portions per week. And it might sound for someone that it's, well, that's a lot, but it's depends where you are coming from, what your goals are to not to try to like, cause those things, to cut everything off. That's she knew she had tried it more than enough, and that is not going to work in the long term. Then now she have accountability. She keeps herself accountable to someone, and stop trying like her goal. Biggest goal was to stop lying to herself and talk herself out, out of it, and not thinking about because those things often we are very good. So that was episode. So to wrap it up, summer doesn't have to derail you. You don't have to start over in September with the little intention flexible structure. You can enjoy your summer and stay on track. If this helps, Episode help you, please share it with a friend or leave a quick, review. It means a word, and helps more people to discover the soul, and thank you so much for those who have already leave it and if you want. If you need any help, check out my website, or reach out to my Instagram. Thank you so much for listening, and talk to you, so.