How to avoid weight gain over Christmas

Christmas is only a few days away ecccckkkkk! Which can only mean one thing…CALORIES!!!

Personally, nothing sucks more than additional inches to your waist line after a Christmas binge. I mean, you didn’t work hard all year round, just to have to start all over again in the New Year, did you? Well I know I didn’t, that’s for sure, so I’ve come up with a few things to try and do over the festive period, to avoid unnecessary weight gain.

1. Have a weight maintenance goal

Let’s be honest, trying to lose weight over Christmas is just torture, so why not set your goals over the next 2 weeks to maintain your current weight. That way, you won’t be bothered if you don’t lose any weight and if you do, that will be a bonus.

2. The 80/20 rule

Aim to eat clean 80% of the time. The extra 20% will allow you enough room to enjoy yourself, without there being any harsh consequences.

3. Exercise more

Why not counteract the extra calories with more exercise.

4. Plan your eating habits for the week ahead

This is basically like planning your cheat day or cheat meal. For example, if you know that you are going to have to go out one evening and it’s likely that you are going to misbehave with your eating, plan ahead so you make the right food choices for breakfast and lunch or days leading up to that day

5. Set a date to get back on track

Aim to get back on track with your usual diet and exercise habits by January otherwise, you may find yourself leading up to spring still holding onto the extra Christmas weight.

6. One handful rule

When it comes to snacks, only have one handful.

7. Drink Smart

I think this is the most important one of them all. Christmas time comes with lots of alcohol and we often find that we drink more than we usually would. What people don’t really realise is the amount of calories they are drinking per glass. Alcohol tends to increase your appetite and interrupts your blood sugar levels, which is why people tend to crave sweet things when recovering from a hangover. Personally, I would rather eat my calories than drink them, but if you are going to drink:

- Eat a nutritious meal or snack with some protein before you have a drink as the protein should help stabilize any swings in your blood sugar level and should prevent you from craving sweet things.

-If you’re a wine drinker, opt for red wine over white. Red wine is better because it has higher amounts of the powerful antioxidants resveratrol, which is found in red grape skins.

- Choose sugar free or low calorie mixers for cocktails or stick to spirits.

-Drink water or low calorie soft drinks between alcoholic drinks. This will help reduce your calorie intake and will help reduce the amount of units you’re drinking.

So why not try these over the next two weeks and resume your normal routine in the New Year.

G

Great hair or great body, which one would you prefer?

 

Have you ever skipped a workout because you didn’t want to sweat out your hair? If so, then this blog post is definitely for you.  Most males probably don’t understand the importance of hair, in this situation, but when you spend on average about £60 (£200+ for you Brazilian babes) for one hairstyle, you want to make sure you get your money’s worth. 

I often get asked how I manage to maintain my hair and workout as much as I do, and seeing as this is something I used to have trouble with, when I first started working out, it just made sense to share my tips.

There are certain things you can do to make it easier to work out and maintain a healthy hair regime.
 
1.       Clean your hair
 
I’m a sweaty Betty and find that my head sweats a lot so my hair ALWAYS looks like someone’s thrown water over me, after my workout session. If you’re like me and you work out more than 4 times a week, washing your hair that often (with shampoo) is not only a lot of effort but it can also cause damage to your hair. 

Why not try rinsing out the sweat from your hair with warm water. If you don’t feel clean without using shampoo, use a diluted shampoo or leave in conditioner. Only use full shampoo or deep condition your hair when your hair has been severely sweated out or soiled, so only on or around the days you do cardio.
 
2.  Plan your workouts around your hair regimen.
 
Do your more intense, sweat-inducing cardio exercises a day or two before your 'hair wash day'. For example, I normally wash and straighten my hair during the weekend. So, Sunday-Tuesday I do my strength training and low impact workouts that don’t leave my hair as soaked. Then during the rest of the week I do my cardio sessions that will sweat my hair out, just in time for my 'hair wash day'.
 
3.  Wrap your hair whilst you work out
 
Wrap your hair when you workout. You don’t have to cover your entire head; you could just wrap the scarf around your hairline, leaving the crown exposed which will preserve the volume without flattening your hair.
 
4.   Keep heat application on relaxed hair to a minimum.
 
I avoid straightening my hair everyday by just making sure I wrap my hair after a workout. If your hair is wrapped properly, this should allow your hair to dry straight. If you need to straighten you hair, I suggest using a heat protecting syrum or oil.
 
I don’t have many tips, but these methods should allow your workout routine to co-exist with your hair without causing damage because no female should feel that she has to choose between improving her health and having healthy hair;  she can do both.
 
G