Beat the bulge this Festive Season

Throughout the winter and the lead up to the summer you have been hitting the gym and working on sculpting that unbelievable bikini body.

You have struggled through the late-night carb cravings and stayed motivated with the early morning cardio sessions. You’ve got this far, so don’t give it all up now.

With the Festive Season here, we look forward to many social events and plenty of fun family time. We drop our guard a bit and our normal routines change, so we lose out on the structure that we worked so hard to maintain throughout the year.

Gym bags are often packed, but left lying at the front door or in the boot of your car, hoping to see you glide through the entrance of the local gym. Instead, you may find yourself forgetting about training and rather overindulging during this time.

Gareth Powell, USN National Training Manager says that while dieting and exercising may be the last thing you want to do over the Festive Season, maintaining a healthy routine is crucial.

The choices you make over the Festive Season can spoil results that you have worked hard to achieve during the year.

“Although it may be easier said than done, including training and exercising when planning for the holidays can help you to make healthier choices and still have a great time with your family,” adds Powell.

He offers the following advice for maintaining a healthy lifestyle over the Festive Season:

• Opt for outdoor training activities such as playing soccer together or going for a walk in the park or on the beach. These activities are fun and can be performed by the whole family – the trick is always to stay active.

• Don’t overindulge with alcohol. Manage your intake so that you relax and enjoy yourself, but don’t overdo it.

• Opt for a fruit salad for dessert instead of having a bowl of ice cream, custard or a slice of cake. Regular smaller meals are essential. They help to maintain an improved metabolic response and appetite control, possibly increasing the amount of calories burnt. Lean mass also is maintained and your blood sugar levels are stabilised, which all contributes to warding off over consumption of food.

• Have grilled meats with a side order of vegetables instead of fried meals when ordering take-away food. Be selective of which meals you would like to indulge on. A treat here and there is fine as long as it’s not a regular occurrence.

• Do not cut out carbohydrates. Instead try to manage your intake so that you enhance the production of the feel-good hormone, serotonin.

• Watch what you eat when going out. It is easy to get tempted into eating unhealthy meals when you are having a good time.

• Drink water instead of fizzy drinks.

• Use supportive supplementation to your advantage, offering convenience, and to keep your goals on track. You are often so busy over this period, so convenience is important to help you achieve calorie requirements. Supplementation can go a long way in providing convenient, nutritious meals without sacrificing your calorie intake.

• Do not deprive your body of a good night’s sleep. Giving your body enough time to rest has many health benefits and often complements a healthy lifestyle.

• When you are on the road to your holiday destination, avoid the temptation for a quick stop at the petrol station for some junk food.

“There are many ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle over the Festive Season that require minimal effort and planning. The trick is to be responsible about your choices,” says Powell.

“Living a healthy lifestyle should not be seen as a burden or prevent you from having fun – it should be a way of life. Always try and find creative ways of training and eating healthy, while accommodating the needs of your family.”