BBQs, Beer, and Ice Cream… Oh My! Help your Patients Maintain Weight Loss in the Summer

For most people, the causes of Winter weight gain are apparent. Then, after the Winter months, New Year’s resolutions and the prospect of getting “beach ready” kick people back into gear with their weight loss goals. Unfortunately, once the Summer season is upon us, new challenges present themselves. 

Like Winter, there are many causes for summer weight gain that can sabotage the progress your patients may have made. Don’t let your patients fall into the Summer trap! Below are some reasons why the summer season can lead to weight gain:

BBQs: Cookouts are a Summer staple. BBQs are fun opportunities to get together with friends and family and enjoy good weather and good food. Unfortunately, that food is very often full of bad calories! Between BBQ sauce, sugary sweet teas and lemonades, sodium-filled hot dogs, and beers full of empty calories, BBQs are a haven for diet temptations. Robard has some great ideas for frosty drinks that don’t set your patients back. Click here for the shareable recipe card. 

Heat: Did you know the hot weather itself can contribute to weight gain? Many people assume that just because they are sweating, they are losing weight. That’s not necessarily the case. Heat can slow your metabolism since your body is not actively working to heat your body internally as it does during colder weather months. Additionally, in hot weather, people are less likely to be as physically active and move more slowly when outside. Physical activity outdoors tends to drop — and so does the calorie burn. If staying active in the heat is a challenge, encourage your patients to workout indoors where it is air-conditioned, or take a swim in a pool, which is a full-body workout!

Summer desserts: What’s the first thing people crave on a hot day? Cold desserts, of course! Ice cream, frozen yogurt, popsicles, and water ice help to combat the Summer heat. But they’re also full of sugar, fat, and empty calories. If your patients are craving something sweet, Robard offers a variety of dessert products that nutritionally support weight loss, as well as a variety of shakes that can be blended with ice or yogurts to create slushies and frosty for a refreshing and delicious treat. And of course, remind your patients to drink plenty of water with ice to cool down and stay hydrated.

Summer can be a difficult season for weight loss patients, but with the proper training and resources, health care providers can be one of the biggest support systems to get them through the season without feeling like they can’t enjoy themselves.

To assist you with helping your patients as the weather heats up, feel free to download our recipe cards to share with them and stay cool and on track this Summer!