The holiday season is all about enjoying time with family and friends , but it is also a time that your regular eating can go out the window.
It’s often easy to lose sight of your goals during all the summer fun. Although not as dangerous as winter, summer can spoil your weight and health goals if you’re not careful. When you’re at a BBQ , it’s very tempting to forget about health & weight.
Prepare for the holidays
Here are a few, yet effective, tips to help you stay on track all summer long.
Holidays and vacations are a minefield when it comes to eating. Of course, you should treat yourself, but don’t let yourself go overboard. One way to prevent your holiday from setting you back is to prepare beforehand. Resolve to exercise a little bit every morning while you are on holiday to keep yourself on track, even if it’s just a few laps in the pool or a quick walk down the beach. If you do this, you’ll start every day off right and be less tempted by the little things throughout the day. It will also make resuming your exercise regime easier when you get back home and help your peace of mind.
Because holiday foods can be high in calories and low on nutrition, make it a priority to keep eating your fruit and veges.
If your attending a family or friends get together , be the one that takes a healthy dish, so that there is at least one healthy option. Keep moving around and mingling with others, taking small bites instead of staying put in front of the food table.
Do not skip meals! Small, frequent meals and healthy snacks will help you avoid overeating later, especially at BBQ’s and parties. If you do overindulge during one meal, all is certainly not lost. Simply resume your planned diet at the next meal. Eat slowly to give your body time to register, skip appetisers, choose healthier options, and focus your attention on the spending time with everyone instead of loitering near the food.
Among the most prominent tips offered are to not restrict yourself, but limit servings of calorie ridden food to small portions. Also, try eating slowly, the faster you eat, the more you will end up consuming. The key, therefore, is to enjoy the food, slowly.
Watch your progress over the summer months
During the hustle and bustle of everything, it’s easy to lose track of how much progress you’re making. Keep track of your weight and exercise schedule, or even just your eating habits. Write down your weight once a week and be sure to record every time you exercise. Just marking off the days you exercised will keep your progress in mind. By the end of the summer, you may be surprised at the work you’ve done and the progress you’ve made. A food diary also helps a lot. Not only does it track your progress, but it helps you make those hard decisions, to have that chocolate, or to not. Another tip is to monitor alcohol and fizzy consumption. It’s hard to believe how much drinks really contributes to weight. Temper your intake alternating between water and fizzy/alcoholic drinks. Other good substitutes are herbs and spices instead of salts and sugars.
As always, regular exercise will help you maintain your weight, stay fit and decrease stress and help with self-esteem. Exercise gives you energy in addition to burning calories. Exercise first thing in the morning this time of year, because it will become more challenging during the day with that time with friends and families.
Do a little bit everyday
Just like it’s easy to lose track of your progress during the summer season, you can also get so busy that you forget to stick with your personal limits. The key to this (and this works in any season) is to just do a little every day. Don’t do one marathon session each week at the gym – aim for short workouts more frequently or do a little extra walking in the morning. If you absolutely can’t make it to the gym or don’t have the time to be as active , there is always that walk along the beach after dinner.
Try to keep to your usual activities and diet if possible. You will also find it easier to stay on track when the weather begins to fade into autumn and winter. Remember, though, that moderation is the key. Instead of denying yourself treats altogether, just restrict yourself to a taste.
