WELCOME TO THE SILLY SEASON!
There is tonnes of research out there showing that Christmas and New Years is the time of year when we gain the most weight. On top of that, the "most wonderful time of the year" can also be the most stressful - with that stress comes increased cortisol (the stress hormone which is released) which in turn can lead to over-eating. Throw into the mix the fact that you're on holidays and don't have time to get to the gym or to your boot camp and because of all the over-eating, you don't really have the energy to do anything anyway....and before you know it, you've lost your training mojo, you're feeling sluggish and you're now feeling deflated as you're going to have to start back at square 1 in the new year.
So how can anyone survive the silly season without going backwards and without undo-ing all the hard work you've put in over the past year?
Well this is what we are going to help you all with in our online Surviving the Silly Season challenge but here are a few tips to get you started which you can implement immediately!
TIP #1 - IT'S NOT THE LAST SUPPER
So during the Xmas break we all tend to indulge and overeat as if it was our last meal on the planet. A great tip to avoid over-eating is to stop over-loading your plate or piling it up with as much food as you can fit on it! Just take a little - knowing that you can always go back for seconds if you choose to. Take small mouthfuls and chew slowly, savouring each bite and focusing on the flavours & textures. Another tip is to split your plate down the middle, and only eat from one side of the plate. Once you've finished that side, take a break, have some water and think about whether you're still hungry. If you're not still hungry, know that you can pack up your food to take it home and enjoy it later - that way you'll still get to enjoy it (you won't feel like you're missing out) and you won't feel like you've just insulted your host!
TIP #2 - WATER IS YOUR FRIEND
If you tend to enjoy the wines and beers and other special drinks over the Silly Season, (and no, we're not going to make you avoid these drinks altogether) a great tip for you would be to make sure you're well hydrated with water before you start your party drinks. Also it's a great idea when you arrive at a Xmas party or NY party, to START your night off with a glass of water, and be sure to have at least 1 x glass of water in between alcoholic drinks. To make the water feel a bit fancy, why not ask for some sparkling mineral water with a spritz of lime or lemon and enjoy it in a fancy glass so it still feels special? You'll still get to enjoy a special drink and your head will thank you for it in the morning!
TIP #3 - KEEP ACTIVE!
So we're not talking about flogging yourself for hours every day at the gym or running back-to-back marathons here, we are talking the simple act of moving. Go for a 20 minute walk, take the family out for a bike ride for the afternoon, go for a quick jog, do a mountain hike. Whatever it is, pledge to move your body every day. We know this is the busiest time of the year but just allow 20 minutes every day to do SOMETHING. Research shows that people who go for a brisk 20 minute walk are less likely to have chocolate cravings compared to those who didn't walk. Not only will your cravings be reduced, doing some light exercise every day will also put you in a good mood and help reduce the stress hormone cortisol - it's a win-win!
So how can anyone survive the silly season without going backwards and without undo-ing all the hard work you've put in over the past year?
Well this is what we are going to help you all with in our online Surviving the Silly Season challenge but here are a few tips to get you started which you can implement immediately!
TIP #1 - IT'S NOT THE LAST SUPPER
So during the Xmas break we all tend to indulge and overeat as if it was our last meal on the planet. A great tip to avoid over-eating is to stop over-loading your plate or piling it up with as much food as you can fit on it! Just take a little - knowing that you can always go back for seconds if you choose to. Take small mouthfuls and chew slowly, savouring each bite and focusing on the flavours & textures. Another tip is to split your plate down the middle, and only eat from one side of the plate. Once you've finished that side, take a break, have some water and think about whether you're still hungry. If you're not still hungry, know that you can pack up your food to take it home and enjoy it later - that way you'll still get to enjoy it (you won't feel like you're missing out) and you won't feel like you've just insulted your host!
TIP #2 - WATER IS YOUR FRIEND
If you tend to enjoy the wines and beers and other special drinks over the Silly Season, (and no, we're not going to make you avoid these drinks altogether) a great tip for you would be to make sure you're well hydrated with water before you start your party drinks. Also it's a great idea when you arrive at a Xmas party or NY party, to START your night off with a glass of water, and be sure to have at least 1 x glass of water in between alcoholic drinks. To make the water feel a bit fancy, why not ask for some sparkling mineral water with a spritz of lime or lemon and enjoy it in a fancy glass so it still feels special? You'll still get to enjoy a special drink and your head will thank you for it in the morning!
TIP #3 - KEEP ACTIVE!
So we're not talking about flogging yourself for hours every day at the gym or running back-to-back marathons here, we are talking the simple act of moving. Go for a 20 minute walk, take the family out for a bike ride for the afternoon, go for a quick jog, do a mountain hike. Whatever it is, pledge to move your body every day. We know this is the busiest time of the year but just allow 20 minutes every day to do SOMETHING. Research shows that people who go for a brisk 20 minute walk are less likely to have chocolate cravings compared to those who didn't walk. Not only will your cravings be reduced, doing some light exercise every day will also put you in a good mood and help reduce the stress hormone cortisol - it's a win-win!