How to Spring “Break” Bad Habits and Lose Weight (Part 1)

April 13, 2018 Ashley 0 Comments

It’s spring break!

And, while for some of us that means an actual break (going to the beach, making a getaway to the mountains, flying to Hawaii with nothing but a bikini that could fit in a thimble and never coming back…) for those who’ve been hunkered in blubber all winter, it means something else. A different kind of break. A breaking of bad habits. I mean, here you were doing great all summer (and even fall, to your credit). But then Halloween came with its candy, right before passing the fatty baton on to December’s decadent wintry treats, which (of course) preceded that amorous Hallmark “bae” holiday, laden with chocolate roses. From ghostly “boo” day to getting booed up (or eating feelings ’cause you weren’t), that’s a grand total of five months. Nearly half a year. And, let’s be honest, a lot of that time might not have been spent exercising very much either. So, how can we get back into our healthful rituals? By taking advantage of those new high temps, eating greener, and starting heaps of healthy warm weather outdoor activities.

First warm weather diet hack-tivity?

Shop in the parking lot

It’s tough to nix a negative habit if we don’t have a replacement one.

So what’s the answer? Replace it! Especially now that the weather’s getting nice again, it won’t be tough to stake out amazing farmer’s markets near your home. Farmer’s markets are awesome. These places offer a lot of top notch, local produce for super cheap, making healthy eating enjoyable and affordable. You get in a nice workout roaming around, you come away with a delicious prize, and – as you befriend the peeps running the tents – you even catch a nice deal here and there. That’s weight loss made easy on the waistline and wallet.

Go pluck yourself

As a yes-and to that, you can even make a fun trip out’ve collecting your own fare.

Have a local “pick your own” farm around you? From apples to berries, you can go and spend some QT with your cutie (or fam… or friends) picking your own edible enjoyments. Aside from the calorie burning fun activity of plucking your own produce, there’s a sense of affirmation and appreciation that comes from collecting your own nutriments. One that makes you less likely to abuse and overuse it later on.

(“I labored too long too *not* savor this!”)

Outdoor dining solo

Ever hear how we shouldn’t zombie out when we eat? ’cause it just makes us munch more than we need?

It’s true. Now, to be fair, I’m a total hypocrite about this half the time. I’m nomming on McDougall’s ramen while watching some drama, totally mindless about my meal. But I will say that when I do dine on my lanai, there’s something about being in fresh air and aware of what I’m doing that makes it far more satiating. (And that makes the temptation for seconds markedly less.) The same goes for absconding outside with my lunch when I’m at work or school. Simply enjoying my food under a lovely, solar photon shower seems to leave me more satisfied than when imprisoned in an institutional, fluorescent tomb.

Outdoor dining not solo

When was the last time you had a picnic?

From the fun of planning it to enjoying the destination and the company, a picnic’s a beautiful way to enjoy eating just enough. And, actually, this weight loss hack’s got legs to it. The first reason you eat less on a picnic date is that you’re in a beautiful, stress reducing environment. Stress is typically what leads to overeating. Maybe it’s Netflix induced stress. Maybe it’s looking around and seeing all the chores you’ve gotta do in your home. Maybe it’s avoidance behavior making you munch instead’ve adulting. Remove yourself from that environment, however, and it’s outta your mind. The second reason? When you pack a picnic, that’s all you’ve got. There’s no going back to the fridge or stove for round two. So, you literally limit yourself by what you pack. And, third, there’s the social aspect. Hopefully you picked an interesting picnic partner. Someone who’s uplifting and a good conversationalist can really help diminish all those sentiments that typically lead you to overeat. I know that whether I dine with my dude or a good friend, I always eat less – but just enough to feel full.

And, while proper nomming habits are half the battle, we still wanna get up and move.

Hate working out on machines like a lab creature? You ‘n me both.

That’s why you’ll wanna follow the following list of outdoorsy springtime activities to help you lose weight…