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Summertime, and the eating is easy — a little too easy! From lazy weekend barbecues to lavish wedding buffets to margarita-drenched vacations, the season is an endless minefield of activities centered around food and drink. The result: unwanted pounds and a swimsuit that languishes in a drawer.

Most diets fail because people simply do not have the time or energy to follow them for the long term, says San Francisco-based Melina Jampolis, M.D., a board-certified physician nutrition specialist. Here, excerpted from her book The No Time to Lose Diet (Nelson Books, 2007) are 25 simple, real-world suggestions for staying on track, while still enjoying summer’s pleasures.

6 Smart Weekend Tactics

You’ve worked hard Monday to Friday and now you deserve to loosen up, right? Resist the urge to “let go” entirely on Saturdays and Sundays, however, or you’ll slow your diet progress considerably. Even when your routine is less structured, always:

•    Eat a satisfying breakfast before heading out the door.

•    Carry a protein bar, a small bag of nuts or a piece of fruit with you, no matter where you are.

•    Think ahead. Consider what your healthy eating options will be in advance. It’s much harder to take the time to find a healthy meal or snack when you are famished and everything sounds good.

•    Plan out your evenings too. If you are going out to dinner, cut back on starches and fat during the day since you will likely eat more of both when dining away from home.

•    Drink wisely. Alcohol can lower willpower and make healthier choices seem far less appealing. Some of my patients prefer to eliminate it, but avoiding alcohol completely is not necessary for most. Some people actually make better choices if they have a glass of wine with dinner. It seems to help decrease anxiety-driven eating. Keep in mind, however, that alcohol has almost double the calories per gram of carbohydrates and protein. If you do choose to drink over the weekend, you need to cut calories elsewhere.

•    Extend your exercise. I’m always astounded when patients tell me they did not exercise over the weekend because they “just wanted to relax.” Instead of eating an extra 115 calories a weekend, like the average adult American, challenge yourself to burn an extra 115 calories. You could lose 5 extra pounds in one year — without doing anything else!

9 Smart Party Tactics

When the weather’s warm, almost every occasion seems like a special event — and excuse to forgo your eating plan. Here’s how to keep weddings, graduation parties, company picnics and Fourth of July barbecues from sabotaging your weight-loss efforts.

•    Never go to a party starving. Eat a protein-based, high-fiber snack or mini-meal beforehand to take the edge off your appetite. Try turkey slices wrapped in a low-carb tortilla, or nonfat yogurt mixed with 1/4 cup of high-fiber cereal. If you plan to drink alcohol, you may want to include a little fat in your snack (like nuts or string cheese) to slow its absorption into the bloodstream.

•    Bring your own food. Instead of hoping for healthy eating choices, supply your own. A vegetable tray with lowfat dip is always welcome at a barbecue.

•    Survey the scene. Before hitting the buffet line at a wedding, check out the entire spread to figure out ahead of time your best options and potential splurges. By doing this, you will optimize your eating choices instead of mindlessly putting things on your plate.

•    Don’t go back for seconds. After filling your plate, park yourself away from the food table for the rest of the night. The closer you are, the more tempted you will be to grab a few more mini quiches or cookies.

•    Go for the H2O. Drink plenty of water beforehand, and alternate a glass of water or sparkling water (not juice or soda, which has loads of calories) with each alcoholic beverage. Also, avoid sugary mixers such as juice and soda, as these add hundreds of sugar calories.

•    Use the two-thirds strategy. Fill two-thirds of your plate with lean protein and veggies. Use the remaining one-third for the special, not-so-good-for-you items. Don’t avoid them — you’ll just feel deprived and overeat later! And don’t waste calories on the fillers: rolls, chips, cheese and crackers that you can eat anytime.

•    Make trade-offs. Skip wine at one event and skip dessert at another. If you have a little pasta or bread, limit yourself to one glass of wine instead of two.

•    Get rid of temptation. If you’re the host, be sure to send guests home with the leftover cake and other goodies.

•    Dress the part. Don’t wear loose-fitting clothes. If your clothes are roomy,  you will be less aware of your expanding waistline.

10 Smart Vacation Tactics

It’s your vacation, so don’t try to lose weight. Just maintaining your current weight is a reasonable goal.

•    Don’t crash diet. Tempting as it may be to try to drop 5 or 10 pounds by going on a fast in the weeks before your vacation, you’ll just end up slowing your metabolism, leading to rapid weight gain when you start eating normally during your trip.

•    Stroll around the airport. It always amazes me to see people take the moving walkways when they have a roller bag. Why not burn a few extra calories and walk wherever you can? Window-shop while you wait, or just walk laps around the terminal. Anything to make up for the calories you won’t burn while stuck on a plane.

•    Bring healthy snacks for the flight, like nuts, protein bars or fruit. Or eat a satisfying meal, such as a sandwich or salad, prior to departure.

•    Drink water. Hunger and thirst can feel similar, and air travel dehydrates you, so drink plenty of water and minimize alcohol and caffeine consumption on travel days.

•    Plan snacks ahead. If your hotel has a fridge, find a local market and get some cottage cheese and fruit to snack on. Or bring nuts and fruit to the pool or sightseeing.

•    Live a little! If you feel like having dessert or wine, skip the bread and potatoes. Splurge on unique, regional food items and house specialties, not chips or junk food.

•    Skip sugary beverages and cocktails. Margaritas and daiquiris contain up to 500 calories and can easily pack on 1–2 pounds a week. Is it really worth it? Treat yourself to one on your first day; then make the choice not to drink your calories for the rest of the trip.

•    Stay true to your eating plan. Stick with protein-based meals and snacks, high-quality carbohydrates and reasonable portions most of the time.

•    Get extra physical activity each day. Swim, snorkel, bike the countryside, go for walks after dinner, go dancing or shop. Or, if you’re feeling especially motivated or adventurous, take an active vacation like tennis camp or a spa getaway.

•    Back home, go food shopping ASAP. It’s important to get back on track with your nutrition program right away. By filling the house with healthy food as soon as you return, you will have no excuse for not sticking to your plan.

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