Healthier Holiday Weight Loss

It's that time of year again. Many of us are heading off on holiday for a week or so in the sunshine and, sadly, this goes hand in hand with the onset of mass crash dieting. 

As the departure day gets nearer, the diets get more extreme - often verging on the dangerous. And guess what? Any results are never long-term. In fact, I doubt the "effects" even last beyond the first 48 hours of the holiday.

So, before you consider starting yet another faddy diet prior to this year’s voyage to warmer climes, please read this blog post. Whilst I can’t (and wouldn’t want to) promise rapid weight loss, I can promise that sticking to these 10 points will have you feeling far healthier come your holiday and, if you are able to keep up perhaps 5 of the 10 points following your return, then next year you will be feeling fabulous, with no desire to start the cabbage* diet! (*other ridiculous diets are also on offer)

1. Increase your WATER intake. If you struggle to drink water, then why not try a fruit infuser bottle? This way, you can experiment with different fruits and herbs to liven up your H20.

2. Eat BREAKFAST. I am a firm believer that this sets you up well for the day ahead – psychologically, as much as anything else. Start as you mean to go on and opt for overnight oats or poached eggs.

3. Plan healthy, daily SNACKS in advance, if you like to snack. Be prepared and avoid the 11am hunger pangs and resultant biscuit tin raid. 

4. Take a LUNCH to work with you. Make a big batch of satisfying, cheap and delicious lentil soup... this will last for a few lunches with some seeded bread or wholegrain crackers.

5. PORTIONS! Carbohydrate portions should be roughly the size of your fist and protein portions the size of your palm. Be careful with portions of high-fat foods, such as nuts, seeds and avocado – all great fat, but still need monitoring.

6. Fill up half of your plate with salad or vegetables for plenty of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and, of course, the really important FIBRE, which helps you to feel fuller for longer.

7. CHEW your food well and try to slow down your eating.

8. Eat MINDFULLY. Turn off the TV, phone and computer, sit down at a table, relax and think about the food that you are eating. That way, your brain is far more able to register the food that you are eating and you are likely to feel more satisfied.

9. Avoid obsessing about body weight. Eat a well-balanced diet, cut out the obviously unhelpful foods and your weight will stabilise at a healthy point. It won’t happen overnight, but then neither did weight gain! So, be realistic and BE KIND to yourself.

10. BALANCE – remember, life is all about balance, and this applies to food/eating too. Don’t beat yourself up if you have a bad day. Just draw a line under it and start afresh tomorrow. Food is there to be enjoyed, so allow yourself the freedom to do this. Life is too short to have a tricky relationship with food, so try and remember to retain a sense of balance whenever you embark on a weight loss plan.

That’s it! Good luck, and remember to enjoy your holiday - hopefully feeling far healthier and happier as a result of avoiding the dreaded crash diet! 

Eat healthy, live healthy!

Faith x