January is a busy old time in the fitness industry.

People feeling bloated and fat returning to the gyms and taking up exercise after fattening themselves up in December.

Advent calendars, Christmas parties, nights out, Christmas meals… I read that people consume 7000 calories along on Christmas day!!

Yep this is good for me due to the extra work.

But

I want to help you out.

It doesn’t have to be this way, you can get through December relatively unscathed and without sacrificing too much of your enjoyment.

Today I will tell you how.

I love December, I can’t wait for all of the unhealthy foods and drinks which come through it. Yeah I may put on a pound or two this month but that’ll be it.

Here’s how:

• Replace the chocolates in your advent calender with vegetables 😉 only joking!
• Maintain your exercise routine as best you can – exercising promotes healthy habits. Rather than skipping your session and eating junk do your session and then see if you want the junk. Exercising will also boost your metabolism and aid with food digestion. If you struggle for time just do some short bodyweight home workouts to get a bit of a sweat going and release some endorphins. You’ll feel better after it, especially if you’re bloated.
• Plan – If you know you’re having your Christmas meal or night out then plan around it. Try and fit in an exercise session before it or the morning after. Also if you’re going out in the evening have a smaller breakfast/skip it and a light lunch. It will help to even out the calories you are conusming over the day.
• Take Supplements – Supplements promoting gut health and things like vitamin C, Zinc, multivitamins and fish oils you should take. These are all going to together help ward off flu symptoms, improve digestion, boost the immune system and keep you feeling good through the holiday period. Really though you should be taking a lot of these supplements all year round.
• Water – You tend to overeat carbs Christmas time. This is the stuff which really bloats us up and makes us feel like a balloon! With all of the carbs you are consuming your body is going to need some extra water to aid with digestion and how it will process the foods. This will also help to reduce feelings of bloatedness so you won’t be feeling like a beached whale come boxing day! I would try and drink at least 2 litres a day.
• Fruit & Veg – You’re going to be eating and drinking alcohol, crisps, sweets, chocolate, pigs in blankets, mince pies and loads more unhealthy snacks. Getting some goodness from fruit and more importantly vegetables will aid digestion and provide your body with some much needed goodness and energy. Try a veggie smoothie the morning after a big night and see how you get on with that. The greener the better!
• Fasting – If you’ve been on a night out or had a massive meal don’t be afraid to skip breakfast the next morning. This will one help you to cut down your calorie intake but also give your body a bit more of a chance to digest the big meal the night before. Also in preparation to a big meal in the evening have a light lunch/skip lunch. I tend to fast quite a lot around Christmas week, after your evening meal see if you can avoid eating for 16-20 hours. This will definitely help.
• Detox – I’m launching a 3 day a 14 day and a 90 day online plan in January. These will all really get you back into the groove and closer to where you want to be. You’ll be hearing plenty more about these in the coming months but if you want to know more then email Personaltrainerllanelli@gmail.com

So there we have it!

I don’t want to sound like a party pooper. But I think you can follow the steps above and it won’t sacrifice your fun or enjoyment too much but it will ensure that you won’t pile on as much weight over the month.

Don’t get to Jan 1st and find you’ve got to lose that stone which you worked so hard to lose in the last few months.

Jamie ‘Can’t Wait Until Christmas’ Stedman

PS There are spaces available for January 2016 semi private personal training at £10 a session. Get in touch to secure your place or for more details.