I’m sorry for the delay in blogging over the last few months, it’s been super exciting for Hunt Fitness as recently we launched our first ever Hunt Fitness Studio!!!

But now we’re back – I want to help YOU this festive period, to beat that binge!!! 

The average Brit puts on 7lbs of Fat over the festive period and consumes around 6000 calories on Christmas Day! Don’t let that be us!

Christmas can be super challenging to stay focused on your health and fitness goals regardless of what they are, but DON’T GIVE UP!

If you’re working towards weight loss then aim to at least maintain weight. Or if you are training for an event then still get out and do something. Something is better than nothing.  Don’t give up hope. It’s still in your control.  It IS possible to have fun as and still stay on track with your goal.

So HOW can we stay motivated to keep ticking over this festive period?  

Spend time OUTDOORS. This will keep you active and expending those calories. So grab the dog, the kids and get outdoors; to the local woods, on a bike ride, to the local park. Be active and enjoy the fresh air. It’s SO much better than being cooped up inside watching a film.

Invest in your health. Buy presents for each other or the family that will keep them active. A Wii console, Fitbit, football goal, bike, new pair of boots, a kite etc. Anything that will encourage your kids, family or friends to get out and be active.

Use your legs. If you’re off, why not enjoy the time and environment around you and walk to the shops, to the pub, to see your friends /family instead of driving. If you have the time, kill two birds with one stone. If it’s raining – walk to the bus stop or invest in an umbrella.

Early Bird Catches the Worm. Got to fit in your training at the gym or a training run? Get it out of the way early. Get up before you get distracted by other people or jobs/chores. Don’t make excuses, do it and plan it into your week/ social diary. Even better take a friend or a dog along with you to make you more accountable in achieving it.

Food

It’s probably the hardest thing to resist over the festive period with all the BEST foods flying around and others around you going in hard!

If you give up all intent in being good then you will ultimately binge and do more damage becoming demotivated before you even start in the New Year. So my tips…

Keep your meals regular and try to continue your normal eating routine. Everyone is allowed to have a treat and enjoy themselves however it’s not a free pass for 7 days to over eat. Would you normally eat chocolate all day or instead of breakfast or lunch? No.

Try not to over indulge. Wait 10 mins before grabbing seconds. This will give you time to recognise if you are actually hungry or just being greedy. Or if you are hungry have a glass of water. You may realise you’re just thirsty and stop you reaching for a snack.

Prepare. Plan your meals for the week as you normally would. Make sure you aren’t consumed by left overs and having bought too much leaving you obliged to eat it before it goes off. Supermarkets are open all over Christmas now so there is no need to stock up – it will all still be there! But also utilise the leftovers too by creating meals in Tupperware for later in the week.

Cook, Bake & Educate. Christmas is normally when you have free time so maybe pick up a new cook book or new gadget for the kitchen – use that time to cook something new, a new recipe, good or bad. It’s great to do with kids also. It gives you an appreciation of what goes into your food and also show you how easy it can be to make something quick and easy.

Alcohol

More often than not there is a large emphasis on drinking over the Christmas period. If you can avoid it totally then well done but people generally like to relax and have a drink. That’s ok in moderation but over Christmas, it’s more common than not to find yourself having one or more drinks every day during social family or friend catch-ups.

Don’t slip into unintended boozy days of drinking. On average there is 200kcal in a pint of lager and 170kcal to a medium glass of wine depending on alcoholic content. These can all add up.

Exercise your will power – You can say no! I’m putting it out there but it is possible, whether it’s a trip to the pub, or a shot of tequila or to a round you’ve fallen behind and don’t need. Skip the round or leave early. Things can escalate quickly and its normally when you’re not expecting it.

Stay hydrated. By keeping hydrated (with water) is the best way to remain full (limiting the pace of drinking more), reduce the chance of dehydration and ultimately help you recover faster.

Be aware of what your drinking and how much. I’m not saying you have to count drinks or calories – but you can if you want to. Over drinking usually happens when you aren’t conscious of how much your drinking – it will accumulate quickly. Give yourself a limit or a cut off time when you want to roughly stop drinking. As alcohol will affect how you sleep.

Try the more sensible choices. For example: try not to mix drinks, having a slimline or juice option instead of calorie-rich options and eat before going out for a drink.

If you manage to implement a few of these suggestions then you will be doing well to maintain or keep smashing your target. Unfortunately, it does take a conscious effort, thought and planning but it doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. You deserve to have it all.