The holiday season is nearly here--thank goodness! Holidays mean taking a bit of a break and that includes a break from your diet and weighing your food and being a bit more 'normal'. You definitely deserve to enjoy yourself but sadly the calories on holidays DO count and competing is a lifestyle that should be adhered to all year round (sigh).
Sponsored athlete and IFBB Pro Lacey Blackman has some tips that will help you keep you looking schmick while you enjoy the holiday vibes!
- Drink plenty of water with every meal and consistently throughout the day.
- Snack on low calorie fruits and veggies.
- Scope out accommodation with a self-contained kitchen or bar fridge so that you can stock up on healthy options.
- Incorporate a lean protein source with every main meal.
- Continue practicing your healthy habits (e.g. taking your supplements, doing deep stretching, etc).
- Choose grilled/steamed/poached methods over deep-fried.
- Request for oils and sauces to be “on the side” so that you can control quantities.
- Load up main meals with salad/steamed veggies (great fibre source to keep things moving!)
- Control intake of processed foods and maintain a sensible balance - there’s no reason to eat cake six times a day!
- Plan your daily treat in advance where you can - if you know you are going out for dinner, keep your breakfast/lunch light so you can enjoy dinner without guilt.
- Be mindful of ‘drinking’ your calories. Sip on water between cocktails, water down spirits or choose lower-calorie alternatives like Vodka and soda.
- Keep moving - go for a walk, kayak, snorkel, swim or train at the gym to avoid becoming a complete couch potato!
- If you plan on exercising during your holiday, do it first thing in the morning as your motivation might change during the day.
- Research nearby gyms to where you are staying or pack space-conscious equipment in your luggage - there are a lot of things you can do with a set of resistance bands!
- Avoid taking food from the buffet to save for later! Eat enough to satisfy, and leave it at that - there will be another time to have that breakfast danish!
- Expect to feel a little bloated and ‘blah’ if you are being more relaxed with your food - this is going to happen whether you want it to or not!! Accept this, continue having FUN and worry about it when you get back home.
- Enjoy the “holiday calories”!! It’s not every day you get to try new things or indulge a little more than usual - lap it up and worry about any ‘gains’ when you get back to reality.
- Leave the “YOLO” vibes behind after your trip. As soon as you get home, get back into your normal healthy lifestyle routine.