Research suggests that 64% of people either diet and/or exercise to lose weight before they go on holiday, but fail to keep it up once they’ve checked in results in bloating foods and drinks before they’ve even taken off. Is the pre-holiday diet really worth it?
According to a survey from Maalox Plus, the average Brit will start their pre-holiday diet with six weeks to go and typically loses 6lbs. However, all those weeks of hard work start to come undone as soon as they get the airport as they stock up on sweets and snacks for the plane and indulge in champagne and alcohol to celebrate the arrival of their holiday.
The bad choices continue whilst they’re abroad too, with 38% admitting to indulging in more food on holiday then they usually would, with alcoholic drinks, dining out and the all-inclusive buffet being people’s biggest vices.
So instead of killing yourself to lose a few pounds with a crash diet that you’re only going to reverse as soon as you check in at the airport, adopt these three healthy habits that you can start before your holiday, use whilst you’re on holiday and then continue afterwards.
Dr Sally Norton, NHS Weight Loss Consultant & Surgeon and Founder of www.vavistalife.com shares three new habits you can learn right away for a long-term slimmer, healthier and happier you.
Give your fridge a new lease of life
How many times a week or a month do you eat the same meals out of convenience? They're quick, taste quite good and they're easy to cook, but are they actually any good for you? If you find yourself eating ready meals on the regular it's time to give your fridge a makeover and inject it with some fresh and in-season produce that's filling and nutritious too.
Avoid hidden sugars and trans fats by eating whole and natural foods instead and your body will reap the rewards. If you need inspiration simply Google 'quick and healthy meals' and get some inspiration for next time you're heading to the supermarket. You'll be surprised at how a little bit of effort in the kitchen can go a long way to making you feel good about yourself.
Give your body a confidence boost
Surely you remember the classic scene in Legally Blonde where Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) explains that her client can't have killed her husband because exercise releases endorphins and endorphins make you happy, 'Happy people just don't kill their husbands, they don't'.
So release your own endorphins and give yourself a body confidence boost by moving a little bit more. Research has shown that after just one exercise session you feel better about yourself, despite the fact your body won't have changed that much.
Exercise has plenty of benefits, so try incorporating it a little bit at a time to see it make a difference.
Reap the benefits of water
It's easy to forget that what we drink mostly contains calories too, and you can rack up a huge amount of them if you're sticking to fizzy drinks on a regular basis. The trend for speciality coffees that are typically laden with sugar and fat also have a detrimental effect on our waistline too.
Water doesn't have any calories, and you've probably heard it before, but sticking to just water is quite simply one of the easiest ways to help you lose weight and feel healthy. Water is not only great for calorie control, but it's amazing for the beauty side of things too.
It's often the case that your body will mistake thirst for hunger, so if you start to feel peckish, reach for a glass of water instead and see if you can reduce the amount of food you eat overall.
If water alone seems a little bland, try adding in some berries, cucumber or citrus to give it a delicious infusion.
