Getting fit after Christmas isn’t easy. In fact, it’s never easy but it certainly a lot harder when you’ve been eating a lot of naughty food and now you’re resembling the very same stuffed turkey currently stored in your freezer.
It’s especially hard for us moms who have little angels to feed all the time and they just can’t get enough of the bad stuff at Christmas, can they? Mind you, neither can we and Christmas is the perfect excuse we need to stuff ourselves silly.
But then comes the post festive season body – and it isn’t pretty, that’s for sure. It only seems like yesterday that you were enjoying summer, rocking those jeans and watching what you ate. Then suddenly you look in the mirror and your mouth drops as you catch your reflection.
Fear not ladies, it’s not the end of the world just yet. You’ll be able to shift those pounds in no time, though don’t go desperately splashing the cash on silly fad diet pills to speed up the process, will you?
It does take some hard work to lose those pounds and I’m not going to lie and claim it’s super easy. But if you follow some of these top diet and fitness tips, you’ll be back to getting into your favourite pair of jeans in absolutely no time.
1. Eat little but often
Giving your body too much food to digest at once is never a good thing. That’s why when you scoff munchies on a Netflix marathon, you always feel horrendously sluggish afterwards.
The best way to give your body the energy it needs to fuel your body throughout the day is to eat five or six smaller meals. The great thing about this is you’ll rarely feel hungry, so you won’t be turning to unhealthy options mid morning.
The best way to ensure your body is constantly burning calories is to keep your metabolism at it’s best at all times. Eating regularly will not only keep it doing its thing but it will also make it work harder.
2. Remain hydrated at all times
For many of us, the trouble zone is the stomach. No one wants to look bloated at the weekend in their new dress and it’s often due to water retention that you look a little podgier than you usually do.
The best way to beat the bloat is to drink your 6-8 glasses of water a day. If water isn’t your thing then try green tea or try adding cucumber to your water. These all act as natural diuretics and so you’ll be running to the toilet a lot more than usual to begin with to empty your bladder but you’ll be happy about it when you can wear those jeans with no bloat, right?
Extra tip: drink water that is super cold. The colder the water, the harder your body has to work. Freezing cold water will speed up your metabolism so try sipping on it throughout the day and see what difference it makes.
3. Find a fitness plan that works for you
It’s not a one size fits all solution when it comes to fitness. If it were that easy then everyone would be following the same routine and same diet plan. We’re all different, we all prefer different things and of course, our bodies all work slightly differently.
Some of us have stupidly fast metabolisms which leave us looking a little skinnier than desired, whereas some of us have metabolisms that are so slow, you almost convince yourself it’s not working. (It is, by the way, but if it’s not as fast as you want, refer back to points 1 and 2.)
All workouts are not the same either. Some are great and some, such as the bbg workout by Kayla, aren’t so fantastic… Do your research before embarking on your very own personal fitness journey and always make sure you pick the route that’s best for you.
4. Don’t overindulge
Section off one third of your meal to ensure that you don’t overindulge when you decide to treat yourself to a meal out at your favourite restaurant.
Getting fit and shedding some unwanted weight doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice your social life. If you want to order your favourite thing on the menu then go ahead. Just don’t eat the entire thing. If you’re thrifty and hate wasting money, ask the waiter to put the rest of your meal in a doggie bag and have that for lunch the next day. Two meals for 1 – you can’t go wrong with that.
5. Get plenty of sleep
Sleep is hugely important if you want to see a difference after all of your hard work. If you’re working your body to the max during the day, you need to give your body enough time at night to recover.
When you sleep your body releases growth hormones that help your muscles to recover. That’s why it’s essential that you get at least seven to eight hours sleep because it’s the crucial time for your body to rejuvenate itself.
6. Don’t overdo it at the gym
Don’t overdo it with any exercise actually. There really can be too much of a good thing and over-exercising is actually terrible for your body. Exercise is supposed to make you feel a lot better but too much of it can actually have the opposite, unwanted effect. You may end up feeling too weak, your body won’t be working to it’s full potential, you might struggle to get to sleep and to sleep well, plus you’ll lose all motivation and desire to work out.
Take it easy and give your body a well earned rest when it needs it. Balance is good for all things in life and it’s especially important when it comes to remaining healthy.
7. All carbs were not made equal
You might wonder why you’re not losing weight when you’re sticking to your daily calorie limit, but you need to remember that not all carbs are the same. You can’t be stuffing your face with fatty carbs such as pizza, burgers and chocolate and wonder why you’re seeing no difference despite meeting your daily allowance. Try swapping them for better carbs such as vegetables, whole fruits, nuts and whole grains. Check out some great recipes here.
One Response
Hi thankyou for the great article!
I’ve been searching google for a workout and reading some reviews but there’s very limited info on a lot of the popular online workout programs for women.
I’m a Mom of 3 and I really need something that I can do at home, at anytime of the day and I NEED to get back into shape so I can eventually feel comfortable in a bikini again.
I was thinking of buying a workout like the Anllela Sagra one or something like that, but this review made me look into it more http://bestbootyworkouts.com/anllela-sagra-workout/ which is how I found your website. It’s also mad me think that popular might not mean it’s worth the money. There’s not many reviews on google but.
I am just wondering what makes a workout the best one for an individual? What more should I do, and will I need more then just a workout program that I but online?
I don’t want to waste money and all of the reviews make good points and offer some good alternatives. It’s confusing me a bit lol.
I would love to get your opinion or anyone else’s if I can 🙂
Kind Regards
Jenna xx