Tuesday 16 December 2014

Feeling Festive (and fat?)


I don’t know about you, but I have mixed feelings about Christmas.  I love the Christian celebration part but struggle with the cost and the emotional turmoil.  And there’s the calorie overload and the very thought of feeling ‘out of control’ of food, exercise, sleep, alcohol and myself!

Perhaps, like me, you have two competing voices shouting at you;

‘Go on, its Christmas, it doesn’t matter just once a year’

‘You know you will regret those crisps and nuts.  You know that when you next step on the scales you will wish you had never seen a mince pie, far less eaten so many’

Does this sound familiar?  Chuck a glass or two of alcohol into the mix and you can quickly lose your way.

At Forefront Fitness we know that a bit of planning can make all the difference, here are a few tips that might help to make it all that bit more manageable.  These are all about going out to a restaurant but I reckon they would work just as well for a family get together anywhere;

·         Plan your night out

o   Be extra careful during earlier meals in the day

o   Be extra careful the day before and the one after

o   Then you can feel good about going out

·         Ring ahead

o   Check out what the restaurant has in the way of healthy options and decide to look forward to these

·         Tell others in your party about your eating plans

o    that way they are prepared and can get their comments out of the way before the big event

·         Have a small snack before you go out

o   Then you don’t get to the meal feeling ravenous and eat everything that is put in front of you

·         Eat slowly and mindfully – make a special effort to really notice what you are eating and enjoy it

o   Think quality, not quantity

·         The 80% rule

o   Eat until you are 80% full – give your head a chance to register all that food

o   Don’t leave the table feeling ‘totally stuffed’ – its really uncomfortable!

·         Ask for food in a restaurant to be prepared how you want it to be – there’s no need to make a fuss, a discreet enquiry will do the trick

·         Eating out is about being sociable not a competition to see who can eat and drink the most!

o   Enjoy healthy food

o   Enjoy the company and the conversation

o   Enjoy the evening without feeling bloated

o   Enjoy fruit and veg

o   Choose higher protein, lower carbs options

o   Keep creamy sauces, pasta, bread & deserts to a minimum

·         Keep hydrated

o   Increase water intake during the day to help flush out later

o   Alternate alcohol and water

·         Be proud of what you are doing, others may well follow your lead!

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