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 some people consume 7000 calories along on Christmas day!! (I think a few years ago I did that)
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.
How I hear you cry!
I shall tell thee
I have to be honest I love December, I can’t wait for all of the parties, meals out and little treat foods and drinks which come with it. Yeah I may put on a pound or two this month but that’ll be it. This should be the same for most of my clients (there may be a couple of naughty elves out there who put on a bit more)
Here’s how:
â˘Replace the chocolates in your advent calender with vegetables đ only joking!
â˘Maintain your exercise routine as best you can – exercising promotes healthy habits. It goes hand in hand. 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.
â˘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 consuming over the day. Plenty of water through the day too.
â˘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. Vitamin D is great for this time of year too. This is the best place to get supplements: http://www.alimentnutrition.co.uk/?cmid=YnNtbmhRZ2tzb0U9&afid=UHZuNnl4bTA3YmM9&ats=MVpzSzZBMHZZSjg9
â˘Water â 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 wonât be feeling like a beached whale come boxing day! I would try and drink at least 2 litres a day.
â˘Fruit & Veg â 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!
â˘Fasting â If youâve been on a night out or had a massive meal donât 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.So there we have it!
I don’t want to sound like a party pooper. But I think if you can follow the steps above 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. Keeping your momentum going into the new year.
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 ‘Fighting Fat All Year Round’ Stedman
PS If you want to secure your space in my personal training academy before prices go up in the New Year then reply to this email or click on one of the links below for more info:
