Side-step the holiday baggage trap
with expert strategies to keep you slim while you soak up the sun
Drink smart
Cocktail hour? Bring it on! Just ensure you
make savvy choices to dodge that calorie overload. ‘Swap drinks such as pina
coladas, which are loaded with fat and sugar, for champagne-based cocktails
which contain fewer calories and come in smaller glasses, meaning you drink
less’, tips Steve Mellor, head of personal training and nutrition at
Freedom2Train.
Sneaky
stay-slim secrets
Then, alternate your alcoholic drinks with
water to ease the blow to your waistline (and head!). ‘Double ordering is the
way to go,’ says weight-loss expert Lisa Jackson, author of Adore Yourself Slim
($19.55, Simon & Schuster). ‘Every time you order a drink, ask for a pint
of water and vow that you won’t go back to the bar until you’ve finished both.’
Do a stealth workout
‘Vow to do a sneaky workout every day of
your holiday by doing a variety of activities whenever you have a spare
moment’, Lisa suggests. ‘Waiting for your partner to pack his beach bag? Do a
few sun salutations or a dozen squats and lunges. Impatient for the kettle to
boil? Wall press-ups or pliés will make the time pass in a flash – plus you’ll
burn plenty of calories and tone all your major muscle groups. Long walks by
the seaside, shopping and sightseeing trips all count as exercise, too’.
Throw some shapes
Looking for a fun way to slash 400 to 600
calories? ‘Hit the dance floor for an hour’, says nutritionist Dr. Christy Fergusson,
author of Hot, Healthy, Happy ($19.55, Hay House). But the benefits of a good
boogie don’t end there. ‘Dancing in a pair of killer heels won’t just burn
loads of calories, it will also strengthen your thighs – perfect for flashing
sexy legs on the beach the next day’.
Be adventurous
Ordering chips with every meal isn’t just
predictable; it’s bad for your body, too. This side dish is high in saturated
fat and often laden with salt. To dodge this fat trap, loosen up and order a
local especially, especially those that involve fresh fish or home-grown
vegetables. ‘Be adventurous with your food and try local, fresh dishes to avoid
eating junk food’, says Natalie Braithwaite, nutritional therapist at Nuffield
Health. ‘Eating fresh is often more nutritious, but remember to choose where
you eat carefully, as food preparation and water standards vary’.
Eating
fresh is often more nutritious
Hit the sand
‘Walking barefoot on the sand is amazing
exercise for your feet, ankles and legs’, reveals Gillian Reeves, Virgin
Active’s national group exercise manager. ‘All the muscles in your toes, feet
and ankles automatically work a lot harder when you walk on the beach’. And
since hard-working muscles use up more energy, it’s a sure-fire way to stay
svelte when you’re away from the gym. ‘Best of all, when you switch on all
these little muscles and make them stronger, you work the bigger muscles in
your legs and the rest of your body more effectively’. What better excuse for a
romantic stroll on the beach?
‘Walking on the sand is amazing
exercise for your feet, legs and ankles’
Work out in the water
Swimming laps while your friends sunbathe
isn’t very sociable, but you don’t have to tank up and down for hours to get a
calorie-blasting blitz. ‘Water provides around 12 times the resistance we get
on land, leaning it takes more effort and burns more calories, but has less
impact on your joints’, explains personal trainer James Osborn. Try these three
head-above-water sessions…
Aqua jogging: Get yourself in the water and
‘run’ as fast as you can for around 30 seconds. Then rest for 30 seconds and
repeat 10 times. This full-body exercise is absolutely perfect for weight loss.
Scissor kicks: holding on to the side of
the pool, straighten your legs out in front of you so your body is at a right
angle. Using your core to keep your legs extended, move your legs horizontally
in a scissor motion. The water acts as resistance while your core works to keep
your legs up. Three sets of 30 seconds will see your abs legs burning.
The
water acts as resistance while your core works to keep your legs up
Aqua lunge jumps: Move to waist-deep water
and get into a lunge. Bend your knees, with your arms in a running position.
Quickly jump up, switch your arms and legs and land back in the lunge with the
other foot forward. These sets of 20 reps should get you puffing.
Be a savvy eater
Celebrity personal trainer Dalton Wong
reckons the key to staying slim on hols is to follow two simple rules. ‘Eat
dessert just once a day – at lunch or dinner, but not both’, says Dalton. ‘And
if you drink alcohol, eat a healthy dinner. Pile you plate with veg and lean
protein but leave fried foods, dressings and processed carbs. The right choices
can save you up to 500 to 1,000 calories in one meal!’
5 body-loving foods
Nutritionist Sarah Walford
(nw3nutrition.com) chooses five foods to keep your metabolism revving
1. Nuts
People who eat lots of nuts tend to have
lower BMIs than those who don’t. Although nuts are calorific, they’re packed
with protein, good fats, fiber and minerals. The high protein and unsaturated
fat content may increase our metabolism and result in less fat gain.
Nuts
2. Fish
As well as being a good source of lean
protein, fish (in particular oily fish) is packed with omega -3 essential fatty
acids. These healthy fats regulate the breakdown of fat and glucose in the
liver, helping you to lose fat and gain lean muscle.
3. Eggs
The high protein content helps to boost
metabolism. Plus, they’re high in choline, which can stimulate the release of
growth hormone and regulate metabolism.
Eggs
4. Green tea
Drinking green tea may increase your
metabolism and reduce body fat – it’s also help to keep you hydrated – vital
for maintaining your metabolism.
5. Chili
Foods that contain chili may increase your
metabolism. The active ingredient capsaicin causes a release of stress hormones
that will temporarily rev up your fat-burning engine.
Chili
