Skip to content

Top Navigation

Health.com Health.com
  • Health Conditions A-Z
  • News
  • Coronavirus
  • Diet & Nutrition
  • Fitness
  • Beauty
  • Mind & Body
  • Lifestyle
  • Weight Loss
  • Newsletter
  • Promo

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences this link opens in a new tab
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Health.com

Health.com Health.com
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Is Your Doctor Gaslighting You? Here's What to Do

      How to handle a physician who doubts or dismisses your symptoms. Read More Next
    • 9 Signs It's More Serious Than the Common Cold

      Doctors explain how to tell if you have a head cold or something more serious that requires medical attention, such as the flu, strep throat, meningitis, or mono. Read More Next
    • How Your Period Changes During Your 20s, 30s, and 40s

      From easier cramps to a heavier flow, here's a guide on what to expect decade by decade. Read More Next
  • Health Conditions A-Z

    Health Conditions A-Z

    See All Health Conditions A-Z

    12 Anxiety Symptoms That Might Point to a Disorder

    The symptoms of anxiety can be hard to detect. Here are the ones you need to pay attention to, and how to know if you may have an anxiety disorder.
    • Allergies
    • Anxiety
    • Birth Control
    • Breast Cancer
    • Coronavirus
    • Chronic Pain
    • Cold, Flu, and Sinus
    • Depression
    • Digestive Health
    • Diabetes (Type 2)
    • Eczema
    • Eye Health
    • Fibromyalgia
    • Heart Disease
    • Headaches and Migraines
    • Oral Health
    • Pregnancy
    • Psoriasis
    • Sexual Health
    • Skin Conditions
    • Sleep
    • Thyroid
  • News

    News

    See All News

    Shannen Doherty Reveals Stage 4 Breast Cancer Diagnosis—Here's What It Means

    "I'm petrified," the actress said when she shared the news that her breast cancer came back. Here's why a stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis can be so frightening.
    • Celebrities
  • Coronavirus
  • Diet & Nutrition

    Diet & Nutrition

    The Best (and Worst) Diets of 2020, According to Experts

    FYI: The keto diet is not number one.
    • Food
    • Nutrition
    • Vitamins and Supplements
    • Groceries
    • Restaurants
    • Diets
    • Keto Diet
    • Mediterranean Diet
    • Whole30
    • Recipes
  • Fitness

    Fitness

    See All Fitness

    10 Moves for a Cardio Workout at Home—No Equipment Required

    Stay in your living room and still spike your heart rate.
    • Cardio Workouts
    • Strength Training
    • Yoga
    • Ab Workouts
    • Arm Workouts
    • Leg Workouts
    • Butt Workouts
    • Fitness Gear
  • Beauty

    Beauty

    See All Beauty

    These 13 Women Prove Every Body Is a Bikini Body

    We're loving their inspirational, body-positive messages.
    • Skincare
    • Makeup
    • Hair
    • Nails
  • Mind & Body

    Mind & Body

    See All Mind & Body

    Why Do People Lie? We Asked an Expert

    Here's the truth about lying.
    • Body Positivity
    • Self-Care
    • Misdiagnosed
    • Invisible Illness
    • LGBTQ+ Health
    • Health Diversity and Inclusion
    • Resolution Reboot
    • Wellness Warriors
  • Lifestyle

    Lifestyle

    20 Things You Should Throw Away for Better Health

    Clean out expired products and clutter to make way for a healthier you.
    • Healthy Home
    • Pets
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Style
    • Holidays
    • Sex
    • Gifts
    • Money
    • Tech
    • Medicare
    • Best Life Now
    • Health Reviews
  • Weight Loss
  • Newsletter
  • Promo

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences this link opens in a new tab
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home Chevron Right
  2. Weight Loss Chevron Right
  3. 12 Ways to Beat Summer Weight Gain

12 Ways to Beat Summer Weight Gain

By Linda Melone
April 23, 2019
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin
Credit: Getty Images
Yes, you can pack on pounds during the warmer months. Here are the summer fat traps to watch out for.
Start Slideshow

1 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Why you get fat in the summer

Credit: Photo by John Matychuk on Unsplash

We typically blame the winter holidays and rich comfort foods for winter weight gain. But summer foods can do just as much damage. Refreshing beverages and cold salads often contain surprisingly high amounts of fat and calories. "To stay in shape or even lose weight during the warm season, you need to follow two simple guidelines," says Brian Quebbemann, MD, a bariatric surgeon in Newport Beach, Calif. "First, there’s always a healthy option for the type of food you want. Second, it's not only what you choose to eat but how you prepare it that makes the big difference." To keep you on track to fit into that new bathing suit, experts chime in on the biggest caloric danger zones.

RELATED: How to Get a Flat Stomach at Any Age

1 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Go easy on the sweet tea and lemonade

Credit: Photo by BENCE BOROS on Unsplash

When you're thirsty, and water doesn't sound appealing, a cold glass of lemonade or sweetened ice tea seems like the perfect solution. But these drinks can be major sugar bombs, says Dr. Quebbemann. "Commercially sweetened iced tea has 80 calories per glass, lemonade has 99 calories, and most commercial fruit juices are about 80 calories per 8 ounces, which is roughly the same amount of calories as a regular cola." When you want to drink something sweet, dilute 100% fruit juice with equal parts water, suggests Dr. Quebbemann.

RELATED: 35 Summer Foods Under 90 Calories

2 of 13

3 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Keep the fresh in fruit salad

Credit: Photo by Dana DeVolk on Unsplash

Surprise! Fruit may seem like a good choice—and it is— but not your salad is filled with canned fruit soaked in syrup, loaded with whipped cream, and garnished with mini marshmallows, as it often is at summer picnics, says Dr. Quebbeman. "This is an incredibly heavy, high-calorie treat, and it's about as devastating to your weight control, and your health, as you can get." Cut calories by using fresh fruit rather than canned, light whipped cream or substitute plain yogurt, which provides added protein. Replace the marshmallows with banana or melon slices to add more sweetness.

RELATED: 12 Delicious Fruit Salad and Salsa Recipes

3 of 13

Advertisement

4 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Beware of barbecue burgers

Credit: Photo by Zac Cain on Unsplash

A beef burger topped with cheese contains saturated fat along with high levels of calories and sodium, says Saba Sassouni, RD, a New York City-based dietitian. "Hold the cheese, top the burger with a fresh tomato slice, and have a piece of corn on the cob instead of a processed bun for starch," Sassouni suggests. And since most barbecue sauces are packed with sugar and run up to 50 calories a tablespoon, Dr. Quebbemann recommends making your own (we love this blueberry balsamic barbecue sauce recipe. Better yet? Nix the sauce altogether for a spice mix rub to add flavor without any additional calories.

Try this recipe: Blueberry-Balsamic Barbecue Sauce

RELATED: The Summer Shape-Up Meal Plan

4 of 13

5 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Remember that calories count at carnivals

Credit: Photo by Blake Guidry on Unsplash

Hot dogs and funnel cakes can also make fairs and festivals a high-calorie bust. "Hot dogs are high in saturated fat, calories, preservatives, and loaded with sodium," says Sassouni. "If you desire a savory meal, go for the chicken or turkey gyro or chicken kebab options." Skip the beef and lamb versions and swap out the white sauce for hot sauce or eat it plain. Chick on a stick is also a healthier option. To settle a sweet tooth, ditch fried, sugar-topped funnel cakes and snack on kettle corn samples, instead, says Sassouni. (Just one sample, though.)

RELATED: 12 Swimsuit Season Diet Secrets

5 of 13

6 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Limit fruity alcoholic adult beverages

Credit: Photo by Taylor Grote on Unsplash

Beware the umbrella drinks. "On average, a piña colada or Long Island iced tea can clock in at 600 to 800 calories," says Amy Goodson, RD, sports nutritionist for the Dallas Cowboys. "Plus, when you drink alcohol you typically care less about what you're eating. So add two, 600-calorie drinks to your happy hour chips and guacamole and you're close to 2,000 calories while the night is still young!" For lower-calorie alternatives, Goodson recommends mixing clear liquor with a calorie-free beverage.

RELATED: 6 Warm-Weather Low-Calorie Cocktails

6 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Watch for beach food truck traps

Credit: Photo by Narain Jashanmal on Unsplash

When a food truck is your only lunch option when lying on the beach, you'll need to choose wisely to avoid the most fattening items. "Stay away from the pre-cooked, reheated, frozen, processed, and dried out fried foods that they offer. This includes pizza, nachos, cheese fries, and chicken fingers," says Sassouni. Many trucks have grills, so ask if they can make grilled chicken, and add a salad with vinaigrette. "Choosing these options could save you over 200 calories and over 20 grams of saturated fat."

RELATED: 9 Mouthwatering Barbecue Recipes

7 of 13

8 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Keep happy hour bar food healthy

Credit: Photo by Kelsey Chance on Unsplash

Skip the fries, burgers, nachos, and wings and other "finger foods" at the bar. "Most bars now have salads that you can add lean protein to such as grilled chicken, shrimp, and fish," says Sassouni. "Or go with a grilled chicken sandwich without mayonnaise. Ask for pickles or a side salad on the side instead of fries." Portobello mushroom or fish burgers, seared tuna salads and even sushi can often be found on bar menus. "You won"t avoid sodium but choosing these options will cut overall calories and fat," Sassouni adds.

RELATED: This Grapefruit Gin + Tonic Is the Cocktail You Need for Spring

8 of 13

9 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Don't be fooled by frozen yogurt

Credit: Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash

Frozen yogurt has many people fooled into thinking it's a healthy food, says Dr. Quebbmann. "You may think that somehow yogurt is yogurt, but you'd be wrong," he explains. "Frozen yogurt typically has tons of added sugar and can even have more calories than ice cream." While frozen yogurt contains some protein, it's often over 400 calories per cup and can contain as much as 26 grams of fat. "Furthermore, the probiotic benefit from natural yogurt with active cultures is essentially missing," Dr. Quebbmann says. If you indulge, have just a small scoop—same as you would with ice cream.

RELATED: 8 Frozen Treats Under 80 Calories

9 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Go easy on the toppings

Credit: Getty Images

Ending the day with a dish of ice cream can put your daily calorie intake far over the top, especially if you choose a variety with added mix-ins. A small size of Cold Stone Creamery's Mud Pie Mojo, for example, contains coffee ice cream with bits of Oreo cookie, peanut butter, roasted almonds and fudge, and adds up to more than 600 calories and 45 grams of fat. Swap it for Cold Stone’s Raspberry sorbet at 150 calories for the small version. "Get a cone, the lowest calorie option," says Dr. Quebbmann. "Moderation is key."

RELATED: The 5 Healthiest Salad Dressings, According to a Nutritionist

10 of 13

11 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Mind your chips and dip

Credit: Getty Images

It's easy to lose track of how many chips you've eaten, and the fat and calories add up quickly—especially when you dunk them into creamy dip, says Michele Dudash, RD, author of Clean Eating for Busy Families. "An ounce of potato chips contains 150 calories, and it's easy to mindlessly eat two to three times this amount." Add a dip such as a creamy French onion at 60 calories per two tablespoons, and you're also adding a few grams of saturated fat with really no beneficial nutrients, says Dudash. Stick with crudité and hummus or a yogurt-based dip instead.

RELATED: 6 'Ultra-Processed' Foods to Throw Out Right Now

11 of 13

12 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Portion pulled pork and ribs

Credit: Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

These popular barbecue meats wreck your bathing suit body with saturated fat from the ribs and additional sugar from the sauce. "One country-style rib with 3 ounces of meat (a large one) racks up 235 calories and 5 grams of saturated fat," says Dudash. Barbecue sauce on 3/4 cup of pulled pork adds up to 315 calories and 28 grams of sugar. "Add a bun and this sandwich alone totals around 500 calories," Dudash notes. A skinless chicken breast, on the other hand, offers up 27 grams of protein at only 142 calories and three fat grams. Add a small amount of barbecue sauce and you still come out ahead.

RELATED: How to Grill Ribs

12 of 13

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 13

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Keep summer salads light

Credit: Getty Images

Salads can be a great, low-calorie food choice—or a major calorie bomb. Cold, creamy pasta salads may be one of the worst calorie offenders. Sbarro's pasta primavera salad, for example, clocks in at 666 calories per serving and 17 grams of fat. "Plus, they're typically made with refined (white) flour pasta, which lacks fiber," says Dudash. Green salads can also ruin your bathing suit body if you overdo the toppings and dressing. "Many people load up on salad greens and then pile on the dressing," says Dr. Quebbmann. Four tablespoons of dressing can have nearly 400 calories, mostly fat. Buy low-fat dressing or, if you make your own, substitute Greek yogurt for the mayo, he suggests.

RELATED: 5 Biggest Salad Mistakes You're Making

To get our top stories delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Healthy Living newsletter

13 of 13

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Linda Melone

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 13 Why you get fat in the summer
2 of 13 Go easy on the sweet tea and lemonade
3 of 13 Keep the fresh in fruit salad
4 of 13 Beware of barbecue burgers
5 of 13 Remember that calories count at carnivals
6 of 13 Limit fruity alcoholic adult beverages
7 of 13 Watch for beach food truck traps
8 of 13 Keep happy hour bar food healthy
9 of 13 Don't be fooled by frozen yogurt
10 of 13 Go easy on the toppings
11 of 13 Mind your chips and dip
12 of 13 Portion pulled pork and ribs
13 of 13 Keep summer salads light

Share options

Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Login

Health.com

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • About Us
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact us
  • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
Health.com is part of the Meredith Health Group. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved. The material in this site is intended to be of general informational use and is not intended to constitute medical advice, probable diagnosis, or recommended treatments. All products and services featured are selected by our editors. Health.com may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.health.com

View image

12 Ways to Beat Summer Weight Gain
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.