Holiday season is upon us, and if there’s one thing any personal trainer knows, it’s that their clients will gain some weight both at Christmas and when they go on holiday. Throw a good value ‘all inclusive’ deal into the mix and it’s an absolute certainty!
That heady mix of on-tap food (that you don’t have to prepare and cook yourself), cold booze, relaxing days on the beach/by the pool and the great weather means you’ve got to have the discipline of a Shaolin Monk to avoid the temptations.
So assuming you’re not a Shaolin Monk, how exactly do you avoid the temptations of an all-inclusive holiday, without destroying all of your previous hard work in the gym? Here’s the AdMac Fitness advice…
How to indulge on holiday and get away with it!
Part of the joy of a holiday is the food and drink. It’s a chance to relax, to enjoy a few more treats and not be overly concerned with everything you eat and drink. Here’s how to do that, without gaining a lot of weight that you’ll struggle to get rid of when you get back home…
High protein, low carb meals
When you head to the restaurant, try to stick to the high protein options. Make sure you load your plate with plenty of meat, fish, eggs or whatever your protein of choice is. Bulk the rest of the meal out with salads and vegetables. Try to keep carbs at a minimum.
This isn’t a carb-bashing thing by the way, it’s just an observation that protein tends to be the bit people are most excited about, they' keep you full for a long time (therefore you don’t over-indulge) and they tend to not make you hold onto water as much, making you look leaner.
Exercise daily
The idea of exercising on holiday might fill you with dread, or even confusion - “I’m here to RELAX, not to SWEAT!”, but frequent activity goes a long way. You don’t have to train especially hard (although if you can, do and you’ll benefit more). There’s also the effect of exercise helping you to feel better after a day of indulgence!
Don’t automatically think of an on-site gym either. You could enjoy some sports if where you’re staying has them, you could swim, cycle, go on a long walk etc. If there is a gym though, a quick 30 minute HIIT or weight training blast will sort you out!
Look at your snack choices
Fresh fruit is always a huge part of an all-inclusive restaurant - the large array of available (meaning prepared and peeled etc) options make it far more likely you’ll jump in and enjoy them. One of the barriers to fruit at home is the fact that some of them need to be prepared, so it puts people off.
If you can, grab fruit as your snacks. It’s the perfect combination of being sweet (satisfies a craving), it’s full of fibre - great for digestive health, it’s full of vitamins and minerals (great for overall health) and it’s low calorie, which saves the weight gain! Winner all around.
Get plenty of sleep - even if it’s a nap
This might seem an odd one, but hear me out. It’s vital to help controlling your weight and cravings. When sleep in relation to weight loss and appetite control has been studied, the results are really clear. There’s strong evidence that a lack of sleep disrupts the hormones leptin and ghrelin, which are responsible for us feeling hungry and full.
Getting enough sleep helps us to regulate them properly - even a day time nap on the beach or pool helps. Feel free to enjoy an afternoon snooze, knowing that it’ll help you control your food intake better!
Lower calorie booze options
Alcohol and holidays go hand in hand, so I wouldn’t suggest you don’t have a drink. There’s a few simple tips to make sure you can enjoy a drink without gaining half a stone though!
Wait until later in the day. If you drink a couple of drinks per hour, waiting until 5pm rather than starting at 12 will save you thousands of calories.
Opting for a lower alcohol content drink will save calories. Think session beers (3-4.5%) rather than strong lagers (5%+).
Clear drinks with diet mixers help. Vodka/gin with a diet mixer will come in at less than 100 calories per drink, as opposed to over 200 with wine or beer.
As I said - it’s not about avoiding drink, it’s about making better choices around it!
How to Indulge on Holiday... final thoughts
The purpose of this post isn’t to be a fun killer, it’s trying to encourage you to enjoy yourself and really let your hair down, but to do it in a way that benefits you. By following the tips in this article you’ll be able to enjoy the great food and the booze on holiday, but you’ll also have eaten well, kept up with your exercise and managed to not gain a load of weight, leaving you feeling crappy after your break!
For more help on this, contact the AdMac Fitness personal trainers…
If you want your health and fitness journey to be guided by the best personal training team in East London, get in touch with us at AdMac Fitness. We operate from our private personal training studio in Bow, E3. Contact us on 07921465108 or email us at admacfitness@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!