The end of the summer is here and it’s time for the kids to go back to school, and for you to get fit in time for Christmas. Although it may seem far away, Christmas, New Year and the little black dress season are only 3 months away, which is just enough time for you to shed extra those pounds gained over the summer holidays.
Now that the holidays are over and the weather is cooling down a bit, there is no excuse to pull a box of ice creams from the freezer and pass it off as dinner. Use our top tips to help sort out your diet and fitness.
- Plan your meals in advance so you can save time deciding on what to eat when you have a busy lifestyle. Look out for the The Slimming Clinic recipe book at your local clinic, which is filled with easy and delicious low calorie meals for you and your family to enjoy. With a 2 week meal plan already drawn up for you, planning meals has never been so easy. If you find yourself strapped for time on weekdays, make a week worth of meals on one day on the weekend and freeze the rest, ready for the week.
- Try adding a variety of vegetables into your meals, whether it’s adding some extra peppers, onion and carrots to a pasta bake or simply popping a microwavable bag of steamed vegetables on the side of your dinner. Half of your plate should be filled with fruit and vegetables, a quarter should be grains and the remaining quarter should be protein.
- Cut out any fizzy or alcoholic drinks and start drinking more water. Water is so beneficial for your health, especially when you’re trying to lose weight. Hydrating your body is so important, especially because your body is made up of 70% water and your brain is 90% water. Water removes by-products of fat and when consumed before a meal, it fills up your tummy making you feel much less hungry. It’s also a natural appetite suppressant, raises your metabolism and the best bit… it contains 0 calories! Drinking water helps to flush out toxins in your body and improves your skins complexion. Water helps to keep your skin fresh, soft, glowing and smooth and helps you to get rid of wrinkles.
- Lower your intake of junk food and naughty takeaways. If you find yourself with a tendency to pick at chocolates or biscuits whilst sat at your desk, start by not buying them in the first place. If they’re not in your cupboards or desk draws, you can’t snack on the unhealthy foods. If you do feel the need to nibble on something, try snacking on popcorn to replace crisps or chop up some carrots or cucumber and dip them in some salsa for some extra flavour. To avoid takeaways, plan your meals in advance or make cooking a fun activity for the family so it doesn’t seem like a chore. Getting the kids involved won’t just keep them entertained, but it will also help them learn some valuable life skills.
- Focusing on exercising is just as important as maintaining a healthy diet. Adults need at least 2 ½ hours of physical exercise a week. By meeting this recommended level, you can lower your risk of heart disease, stroke and your chances of developing type 2 diabetes is reduced by up to 50%. You don’t have to join a gym to keep fit either, and you can easily fit in a quick, but effective workout in 10 minutes at home. Check out our summer workout article for some inspiration of exercises here.
- If you’re just getting back into the swing of things and aren’t too confident about going for a 5k run, don’t fret! You’re allowed to take things slow and start off easy to help ease your mind and body into the idea of exercising. Start off by ditching your car and walk the kids to school or to the shops. If you take the bus or train to work, get off one stop earlier and walk the rest of the way. Find little ways to incorporate easy exercise into your lifestyle before trying anything too hardcore.
- Once you’re feeling more confident, try going for a run or taking evening walks with the family, or kicking a ball around with the kids to build up an appetite for dinner. Start including muscle workouts to your routine, whether it’s doing a few squats when brushing your teeth or some lunges whilst waiting for the kettle to boil.
- If you don’t think the gym is for you, why not join an exercise class? It’s a great way to meet new people whilst doing exercise which is overseen by a fitness professional, so you can avoid any embarrassing injuries! Exercise classes are fun because you don’t even realise how much you’re working out during a session of Zumba or during a quick 20 minute LBT class. Exercising at home is always a good option if you don’t have enough time to travel to the gym and get in a good workout. Check out our article containing our top 5 at home workouts here.
If you enjoyed this article, take a look at our other blog posts for further inspiration of recipes (here) and workout ideas.