The dangers of ‘summer diets’ and what to do instead

Every year, social media becomes obsessed with the concept of getting ‘summer body ready.’ As the temperatures rise and trips abroad get closer, more and more people feel pressured to embark on a summer weight-loss journey. The topic of ‘summer diets’ is currently consuming social media, as influencers document their calorie deficits and detox diets to get in shape for the summer.  

While summer diets are an age-old concept, many are unaware of the fact that they can cause more harm than good. Because of this, nutritionists at the weight-loss programme, Second Nature, have created a guide on why your summer diet might not be as beneficial as you think,  

What are the dangers of summer diets?

Summer diets are often advertised as a quick way to lose weight before going abroad. Although they can be great for promoting healthy eating, summer diets can ultimately cause some significant setbacks to your weight loss journey.  

Fail to promote long-term weight loss 

Summer diets are often promoted as quick fixes, encouraging people to lose weight quickly before going abroad for the summer. Because of this, they do not promote long-term weight loss and instead make you more susceptible to putting weight back on.  

Due to their restrictive nature, many people fail to stick to summer diets, making them an unattainable way to lose weight over the next few months. As summer diets often require dramatic reductions in calorie intake, they exist purely for short-term gain, meaning they aren’t sustainable for long-term weight loss. Because of this, it’s challenging to achieve long-lasting weight loss by participating in these restrictive diets.  

Associated with unhealthy weight loss  

Summer diets mainly consist of dramatic calorie deficits and cutting out entire food groups, such as carbohydrates and sugar. Ultimately, this can cause you to focus on calorie counting and restrictive eating, creating an unhealthy relationship with food.  

A balanced diet is essential for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Cutting out entire food groups can be detrimental and result in adverse health effects, such as headaches and weakness.  

Significantly reducing your daily food intake can hugely impact both your mental and physical well-being. Because of this, it’s easy for summer diets to be taken too far, causing more harm than good in the long run.  

Can result in harmful physical side effects  

The NHS advises that the average man needs around 2,500 calories a day, while the average woman should eat around 2,000 calories daily. However, most summer diets revolve around cutting down your calorie intake to lose weight incredibly quickly. While it’s crucial to ensure that you’re eating healthily, significantly reducing your daily food intake can result in some worrying side effects.  

Not eating enough calories throughout the day can lead to dizziness and fatigue and can seriously disrupt regular bowel movements. Because of this, severe calorie deficits can often disrupt one’s daily routine, particularly when it comes to regularly exercising and having the energy to socialise with friends and family.  

Experts also reveal that a reduced calorie intake can result in brain fog, characterised by an inability to think clearly, which reduces an individual’s productivity throughout the day.  

Because of these off-putting side effects, many people will give up on their summer diets, ultimately losing progress on their weight loss journey. Summer diets and the pressure of obtaining a ‘summer body’ will likely lead to burnout, meaning that it’s essential to prioritise your mental well-being on your summer weight loss journey.  

What are some healthier alternatives to summer diets?  

Ultimately, summer diets rarely promote long-term and healthy weight loss. Because of this, it’s crucial to be mindful of sustainability when embarking on a weight loss journey, particularly if you want to see a lasting impact. As an alternative to summer diets, nutritionists at Second Nature have offered some tips on promoting long-lasting weight loss. 

Make healthier substitutes  

Instead of focusing all your energy on trying to ‘eat less,’ making healthier substitutes throughout the day is more beneficial. Rather than reaching for an unhealthy sweet treat, fill your cupboards with healthy snacks, such as fruits and nuts, for when you feel peckish between meals. Sugar-filled snacks can often cause you to become hungrier, so it’s essential to be mindful of healthier substitutions to fuel your body while on your weight loss journey.  

Focus on finding a regular workout routine  

As the name suggests, summer diets focus purely on eating less rather than encouraging sustainable lifestyle choices. Alongside eating healthier, you should exercise regularly to make your weight loss journey impactful.  

Exercising regularly has numerous benefits besides weight loss, such as boosting psychological health and wellbeing, strength, and improving cardiovascular health. Even short bursts of exercise are beneficial, such as doing star jumps when you wake up or running on the spot when you get home from work.  

It’s crucial to be aware of how you can incorporate exercise into your daily routine. For example, choosing to walk or cycle into work, instead of driving or taking public transport, is a fantastic way to incorporate short yet impactful bursts of exercise into your everyday routine.  

Avoid setting unattainable goals  

Summer diets are based on the principle of losing weight in a short time span, particularly before going on holiday abroad. One of the primary reasons people give up on summer diets is that these goals of rapid weight loss are unattainable.  

Rather than basing all of your goals around numbers on the scales, try setting yourself smaller targets. For example, if you ran for ten minutes yesterday, why not try running for 15 or 20 minutes today? Smaller goals are often more realistic and avoid the risk of losing motivation while on your weight loss journey.  

Don’t skip the meal-planning 

As previously mentioned, summer diets promote cutting out entire food groups, which can often cause more harm than good. When embarking on a weight loss journey, it can help to plan your meals in advance to ensure you’re eating a healthy balance of food groups.  

Meal planning can reduce the risk of impulsively ordering a takeaway and can make you more aware of making healthier substitutions when doing your weekly food shop. Stock up on plenty of fruits and vegetables and foods high in protein, such as meat, fish, dairy, and nuts.  

Dieting shouldn’t revolve around the principle of eating less. Instead, it’s more beneficial to ensure that you eat filling and healthy meals throughout the day to reduce the risk of unhealthy snacking.  

Robbie Puddick, a registered nutritionist at Second Nature, has commented:  

“Over the past few years, summer diets have transformed into a social media trend. When people see these influencers doing detoxes and extreme calorie deficits over the summer, it’s vital to be mindful of the drawbacks of these quick-fix diets.  

“Rather than focusing your energy on short-term weight loss, investing your time on a sustainable weight loss journey is more important. Over the next few months, your wellness plan shouldn’t centre around losing weight at an unattainable, and often unhealthy, pace – which is what summer diets ultimately encourage”.  

This information was provided by nutritionists at the weight-loss programme, Second Nature.