It’s been 3 weeks since Christmas, seems like quite a long time ago but I know a lot of people are still suffering from the ill effects of the December binge.

I mean it’s the thing to do Christmas time, eating and drinking is the thing. I myself over indulged at Christmas and by the time it got to January 1^st I felt horrific, I was bloated. My body shape had changed (for the worse) and I felt tired and lethargic.

The good thing is it doesn’t take long to get back to feeling yourself, you can make a few changes and feel better in just a day.

I know a lot of you may have got over the bloat and are back to your usual good ways but for those still struggling this article is for you (although the tips will help everyone looking to improve their body shape).

It’s great to see loads of people taking up exercise again and let’s hope it lasts. I’ve noticed loads more people running, the gyms are fuller and I’ve recently started a spin class which has been fully booked so far which is great!

It’s important that you keep on working hard and keep on improving, personal trainer Richard Clarke told me ‘It’s better to wear out than to rust out’. It’s never too late to improve and never too late to get fitter.

People care about the way they look, that’s why the majority of people exercise and feeling bloated can really hold you back and make you feel crap!

We all want to see results fast (which you can) but to get to exactly where you want to be requires hard work, time and commitment. I mean if it was easy we would all be walking around with six packs and minimal body fat rather than the reality where obesity figures are at an all time high and rising at an alarming rate.

But as I said in the title ‘quickfix’ which is probably why a lot of you are reading this, because you want something immediately.

The fact is the society we live in want things now, most things are rushed because people have no patience. Just think about TV and having to wait a week for the next episode of the series, now you can watch them all back to back on Netflix or get the boxset, a week is too long to wait!

In order to achieve your goals will power (to exercise and eat well) and self control (to not give in to temptation) are absolutely vital to being successful. The people who are able to wait for the results and not require that immediate quickfix will be successful in the long run.

With the risk of going off topic I’ll go back to bloating.

So after all that I’ve said what can you do to make you feel better in just a day or two to make your stomach area look better?

Being bloated doesn’t mean you’ve gained tonnes of fat it means your stomach has swelled and it makes you look bigger and more out of shape than you actually are.

So here are some tips to help you fell better and shrink your tummy:

• Cut Down Your Salt Intake – Too much salt can make you swell right up and hold loads of water. The recommended daily allowance for adults is 2,300 mg of sodium a day. Eating loads of processed foods and take aways and things (where you don’t know what’s contained in them) mean you’re probably eating too much salt. Especially over Christmas with all of the crisps and things which get passed around. By reducing your salt intake your will ease the water retention and allow you to feel better. Drink more water and try green tea to help flush everything out of the body.

• No Fizzy Drinks – All that fizz really causes your belly to swell right up, so ditch the fizzy drinks (diet versions included). Many people will drink fizzy carbonated drinks every day and just by cutting these out can lead to weight loss and feeling better.

• Workout – There is nothing like a good workout to make you feel better. I would recommend just a nice long easy jog or walk to begin with. The exercise will help to get your digestive system into gear.

• Lighter Lunches – It may be a good idea if you are bloated to eat a little bit less, cut down on your meat intake slightly and eat loads of raw natural food. A light salad for lunch/loads of green veg with extra virgin olive oil helps with your digestion and gets things moving.

By adopting these strategies I guarantee you will be feeling better in just a day or two.

You’ll then have loads more energy to keep on eating well, training well and living well.

80% of your serotonin (which makes you happy and feel good) is produced in the lining of your gut, so get rid of the bloat and you’ll feel happy.

If you want to get a free 7 Day Healthy Eating Nutrition plan just pop your name and email address in the sign up box on the right, this will help to get rid of all of the bloating and get your healthy eating back on track (plus there’s loads of nice enjoyable foods on there).

Thanks for reading,

Jamie Stedman