What’s not to love about the Summer holidays? Sun (for the most part), beaches, schools out, ice cream, yummy food and more often than not lots of alcohol. Which means that sticking to your calorie target, keeping up your exercise regime or fighting back those extra kilos that you worked so hard to lose can be somewhat of a challenge. You’re not alone – this is the same for EVERYONE, so below we share our top tips on how to stay consistent during the summer holidays.
- What is important to you? This is a really good task to set yourself and one that I always tell my clients to think about. Sadly, in life, “sometimes you just can’t have it all” – the same applies to Summer Holidays. Ask yourself what is really important to you? Do you prefer an extra class of wine or an ice cream on the beach? Identifying the treats that provide you with most pleasure will help you make sensible decisions. Make a list, keep the top 2 and disregard the rest.
- Do you really need it? It’s so easy when the kids order an ice cream to have one too or to say “yes” when the waitress asks if you would like dessert. Going with the flow is an easy trap to fall into but ask yourself, do you really need this? You will probably find that 9 times out of 10 the answer is “no”. Self reflection ahead of any decision is a great way to keep the calories down.
- Give yourself 24 hours notice – As personal trainers, we offer many tips and tricks to our clients on a daily basis with the aim of providing them with the tools they need to stay on track. However, at BBG, everyday is a school day and we also learn a lot from our clients, so this tip is courtesy of one lovely client. Her motto is, “give yourself 24 hours notice”. If you know you are going drinking the next day, work out how many drinks you will have, don’t be afraid to tell the people attending and if what you are drinking falls outside of your 24 hours notice – scrap it. By planning ahead, you will also have great insight on the calories you are likely to consume that day which will allow you to balance out the day before. The same applies for not just alcohol of course – cake also counts!
- Take me time to continue your routine, even if it’s a shortened version. You might not have gym equipment readily available whilst on holiday but all you need is open space and a little creativity and off you go! Our home workouts over on our YouTube channel can be carried out without equipment, in any space. A shout out to The Health Boost on this tip as Val, co-founder and fellow BBG-er, insta-storied her daily workouts whilst on holiday with her family and we loved following her creative workouts! No excuses!
- Strip back to basics. We have talked about this many times but regardless of what type of diet you follow, the principle is the same; to lose weight you must burn more calories than you eat. If you can’t get hold of the ingredients you normally would at home, perhaps because you are eating out – just stick to basics. I can guarantee that most restaurants offer delicious salads, chicken variations and vegetables – especially in those Mediterranean countries!
By following these tips, you can enjoy your Summer holidays without undoing all your hardwork!
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Team BBG x
Personal Training Sevenoaks
Personal Training Blackheath
