7 Easy Ways to Summer-Proof Your Diet ...

The number one way to summer-proof your diet? Make sure you know exactly what you are consuming, and avoid anything that’s totally crazy. It’s not parties or barbecues that are the worst threats, either: it’s a night out at the pub. Did you know that a standard margarita cocktail contains 750 calories?! A Cosmopolitan is much lower, at around 150 calories, so make the swap and you’ll soon see the difference.

Want to be bad and enjoy a little chocolate? Know exactly how bad you are being. Two Jaffa Cakes, for example, weigh in at 96 calories. Tasty, and not too terrible. A Kit Kat Chunky, on the other hand, is 296 calories. Still not terrible, but if you make the swap, you’ll save yourself 196 calories. That’s almost 20 minutes of walking!

Okay, so it’s not Summer without ice cream, but you don’t need to go crazy. Haagen Dazs butter pecan ice cream, for example, contains 310 calories, and costs a small fortune. A milk choc ice will cost you under $2, and contains just 131 calories. You still get your tasty ice-cream fix, but without sabotaging your diet. If you do really fancy some Haagen Dazs, try halving it with a friend instead of scoffing the whole thing yourself.

For some reason, Snickers has the reputation of a naughty treat that actually isn’t that naughty, but it is. A standard sized Snickers contains around 296 calories, and the bigger bars are packed with even more calories. A Nestle Milky Way bar is just as delicious, but contains only 94 calories. That’s another 202 calories saved, and you still get some delicious, classic chocolate.

I don’t know about you, but I cannot resist Magnum ice-creams. Especially the white chocolate version! It feels so decadent and delicious, and they are great for cooling down with. They aren’t so great if you are on a diet, though, with some of the packed-with-nuts-and-caramel versions clocking in with the same number of calories as a small meal. Grab a fruity Calippo lolly instead, and you’ll only consume 78 calories.

Pina colada cocktails might have distinctly holiday feel about them, but they won’t do your bikini body many favors. One pina colada contains around 644 calories, making them only slightly better than a margarita. A Mojito, on the other hand, has just 160 calories. Yes, you really could have four Mojitos for every Pina Colada. Or you could bank the calories for your next tasty treat, instead.

Until last year, I had no idea that I liked cheesecake. Now I can’t get enough of the lovely stuff. It doesn’t make a great diet snack, though. A standard chocolate cheesecake can have around 435 calories per slice, which can be enough to put you over your calorie allowance for the day. It’s rather a lot for a dessert! For something similar yet healthier, try blended frozen banana, or banana frozen yogurt. Both have around 90 calories, saving you 345. This is a super easy way to summer-proof your diet!

When you know what you are eating, it’s a lot easier to summer-proof your diet. That means you can still enjoy parties, barbecues, nights out and pub meals, but you can also be sure that you are still on track to hit your targets! Have you found any great ways to summer-proof your diets? I’d love to know what you are avoiding!