It appears the festive season is starting earlier & earlier each year. Some of my clients are cancelling or not making it to the gym as many times as they normally do due to attending parties & entertaining clients.
We have around a 6-week period when daily calorie consumption rapidly increases by eating more rich food & drinking on a more regular basis.
Here are a few pointers to get you through the festive season so you do not gain pounds & pounds over the coming weeks.
1. DO NOT STOP EXERCISING. If you cannot get to the gym, go for a run, swim etc as much as you normally do. Do not think “sod it” & just do nothing. The key to all of this is consistency. If you normally average 3-4 workouts a week, going 2 x is better than nothing.
2. You will start to see more sweets & cakes appear in the office. By all means allow yourself some treats but do not eat everything in sight. Instead of having 5 biscuits, maybe have 1 or 2 & say that’s enough.
3. If you do eat something heavy in calories, adjust the rest of your day around. Maybe eat a smaller dinner or do not have a snack you would normally eat later in the day.
4. Choose drinks that are lower in calories. 1 beer can around 200 – 300 calories, sometimes more. A gin with a slimline tonic is around 100 – 120 calories. I would recommend avoiding sweet cocktails as they can be very dense in calories.
5. Make sure you keep well hydrated. Not only will this shorten the length of your hangover but can keep you fuller meaning you may be inclined to eat less the day after. You may find you want to increase your daily water intake over the festive period. Even on the days you do not drink.
6. Sleeping is the time when our bodies recover from the excesses of life. Drinking and eating too much can severely affect our sleep patterns, as can the frequent late nights that are a regular occurrence during the festive period. Over Christmas and New Year, many people are sleep-starved leaving them not fit for much after a few late nights, let alone being the life and soul of the party.