Does warmer weather send you into a tailspin of dieting and overeating? You’re not alone. The summer scaries make us believe that we have to earn our place in shorts and swimsuits—but that fear is exactly what keeps us stuck. This episode will show you why, and most importantly, how to stop the cycle once and for all.

What to Listen For:

• What the summer scaries are and how they keep you stuck in the diet cycle
• Why the fear of summer leads to more bingeing—not less
• The hidden link between body image anxiety and overeating
• How seasonal dieting creates long-term struggles with food and weight

Breaking Up with the Summer Scaries: Why Your Bikini Doesn’t Own You

Ah, spring. That magical time of year when the sun starts sticking around a little longer, birds are chirping, and depending on where you live, you’re either frolicking in the sunshine or still wearing three layers because the weather can’t make up its mind. (Seriously, can someone please tell Mother Nature to get it together?)

But let’s talk about what happens when the temps start rising: the summer scaries. Yep, you heard me right. It’s like the Sunday scaries, but worse. Because instead of just dreading Monday morning, you’re suddenly spiraling into OMG, summer is coming, and that means bathing suits, shorts, and exposing my pale, post-winter self to the world!

And just like that, the anxiety kicks in.

The Summer Scaries and Their Sneaky Little Tricks

The summer scaries are crafty. They whisper lies in your ear like, “Hey, if you just cut carbs for the next 87 days, you’ll be beach-body ready!” or “Maybe skipping breakfast, lunch, and happiness will finally work this time!” And we listen. We fall into the trap, thinking this will be the year we finally “get our act together.” But here’s the kicker:

We don’t.

Instead, the stress of trying to “fix” ourselves for summer makes us more likely to binge, overeat, and ultimately feel worse. Because anxiety about the future has a funny way of making us eat in the present.

The Vicious Cycle We Know Too Well

Raise your hand if this sounds familiar:

1. Panic mode – You realize summer is around the corner, and your brain immediately throws you into diet boot camp.
2. All the rules – No carbs, no sugar, no fun. You tell yourself this time will be different.
3. Reality check – Turns out, cutting out all joy from your diet isn’t sustainable. Who knew?
4. Rebellion – You snap, binge on everything in sight, and swear you’ll start fresh Monday.
5. Rinse and repeat – Until next summer, when you do the whole dance again.

Sound familiar? Yeah, been there, done that, got the emotional baggage to prove it.

How to Ghost the Summer Scaries (For Good)

So how do we break the cycle? How do we tell the summer scaries, It’s not me, it’s you, and move on with our lives? Here’s the secret sauce:

1. Stay in the Present Moment
Instead of obsessing over how you’ll look in a swimsuit in three months, focus on how you feel today. What makes you feel good? What fuels you? What actually satisfies you?

2. No More Diet Boot Camps
Drastic diets are like bad exes – they promise the world and leave you crying into a pint of ice cream. Stop falling for their tricks.

3. Ditch the “All or Nothing” Mentality
You don’t have to eat “perfectly.” (Side note: What does that even mean?) Focus on balance, not extremes. One donut doesn’t ruin everything, just like one salad doesn’t make you a health guru.

4. Recognize the Lies
The idea that your worth is tied to how you look in a swimsuit? Total nonsense. Your body doesn’t need to be “fixed” for summer. It’s already beach-ready because you have a body and you go to the beach. Boom. Done.

5. Find Your People
You are not the only one dealing with this. Thousands of us are in this together, and there’s a whole community waiting to cheer you on (hi, Food Freedom Society!). Surround yourself with people who get it and remind you that you’re amazing right now.

Let’s Break Up with the Summer Scaries – Together

So if you feel those summer scaries creeping in, I want you to come back to this post. Read it, breathe, and remember: You are not alone in this.

And if you need extra support, come hang out with me and the thousands of other incredible people inside the Food Freedom Society. No more summer scaries, no more dieting disasters – just freedom, fun, and a whole lot of self-love.

See you next time, friend. And remember – your worth is so much bigger than a bikini size.

Follow me for daily tips on Instagram! @kellylwellness

Are you ready to stop overeating and finally be in control around food? Watch my FREE training How to Stop Binge Eating (Without Cutting Out Your Favorite Foods) to learn how it’s possible!