When summer is in full swing, it is easy to lose track of your fitness goals. Ice cream and barbecues are temptations that can derail weight loss and fitness goals. Summer weather seems to lead to two extremes for me: either my activity spikes due to bike rides, walking everywhere, and adventuring or I'm lazy from the heat, lounging around my house or at the beach or pool and avoiding sweating so I don't have to take another shower. If your summer looks more like the former, you're lucky! Staying active can be easy when the weather is nice and you have no obligations. However, being stuck at a job that doesn't require a lot of physical activity can be a frustrating impedance.

In order to stay aware of how much you are consuming it is beneficial to track calories. There are a lot of websites and tools that will help you do this. Eating at maintenance or a deficit is important to stay on track with what you're working toward. Tracking calories are useful but tracking macros can be even more beneficial because it can ensure you are getting the right balance of food. Eating the right amount of calories is great, but if it's all ice cream or even a big salad and fruit, you'll be lacking the protein your muscles need to be strong. When tracking macros it is important to eat around the recommended balance of carbs, protein, and fat because the body needs all three to function optimally.

It can be hard to find time to work out whether it's due to a busy schedule or struggling to beat the heat. Waking up early to get a workout in can definitely improve your mood. You can work out fasted or after breakfast. Doing this will get it out of the way for the day. You will have accomplished a big task before some of your friends are even awake and you'll feel more alert and refreshed. It can be fun to recruit a friend to smash out a session with you before rewarding yourself with coffee or a healthy breakfast.

An important part of setting a goal is being realistic. Being realistic includes finding a balance between health and life. So you don't have to pass on every trip to get ice cream or wake up at 6 a.m. to workout after a 4th of July banger. It's awesome to be conscious but there is no benefit to being obsessive. Looking and feeling your best starts with mental health. So eat delicious and nutritious foods, get sweaty and have fun. The most important thing is to enjoy your summer in every way you can.