33. Should You Change Your Fitness Goals for Summer

In this episode, Emily and AJ tackle one of the most common summer fitness dilemmas: should you change your goals when the season shifts? They explore why summer feels so different — from kids being home to packed social calendars — and why that pressure to look a certain way often leads to yo-yo behavior and short-lived results. Instead of chasing extreme transformations, they make the case for realistic, life-aligned goals, the underrated power of maintenance phases, and setting non-scale minimums that keep you moving forward no matter how chaotic life gets.

5 Key Takeaways

(2:00) - Summer doesn't mean you have to change your goals — it just means finding different ways to reach them that fit your current season of life.
(3:15) - The pressure to be "summer ready" pushes people into extremes that backfire fast, especially when vacation eating undoes a restrictive cut within 48 hours.
(12:55) - Maintenance phases aren't a step backward — they're a strategic recovery tool that helps your body respond better when you return to fat loss.
(20:02) - Setting non-scale minimums (steps, water, activity rings) gives you a measurable, achievable baseline even on your most unpredictable days.
(24:03) - Your actions — workouts hit, meals tracked, water consumed — build confidence and long-term results far more reliably than the number on a scale.

Quote of the Episode

"Consistency will always bring you much, much further with time over someone who's going to have an on switch and then an off switch when summer comes."

— Emily & AJ

Connect with Emily and AJ

Website: https://www.emilylevercoaching.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bedellever/

References

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s44410-025-00011-9

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31377851/

Enjoyed the Episode?

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Until next time—keep showing up, stay consistent, and remember: small steps add up to big change.

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