- Don’t delay: avoid telling yourself “I’ll start on
Monday”. Start now. That means saying no to all
the chips/cookies etc. from the moment you step
out of the airport. By eating healthy, I mean eating
low-fat and whole-foods. Avoid processed foods
such as chips, cookies and candies – these are
often high in refi ned sugar, salt and fat. - Exercise: the very next day. Don’t fi nd excuses
such as being jet lagged, having too much work,
gym membership expiry, it’s not Monday etc. You
can start off small. This could even be a 20-minute
jog that will help you start to get active. Finding a
fi tness buddy or hiring a gym trainer will help you
stay consistent and motivated - Don’t overdo it: Your will-power will increase
overtime, and may not be as great as your
friends’. Don’t let this demotivate you, as everyone
operates at their own pace. Even I know that I
will sometimes binge eat. To help me stay on
track, I still allow myself one cheat snack per day.
This could be something homemade like chikki
or besan laddoo etc. I mostly try to have this
around my workout so I am not sitting idle post
the cheat snack. Allowing yourself one treat per
day may help you stay focused and consistent and
might push you to ensure you burn off that snack.
Portion control is key, and where possible, keep
that snack high protein and low fat. For example,
20g mung dal namkeen is less than 100 calories
and is a high protein alternative to potato chips,
but still fulfi lls that salty craving. - Don’t weigh yourself too often: This could
demotivate you and could be counter-productive.
Weigh yourself every 2 weeks at the same time of
day, in the same clothes, since your weight can
fl uctuate depending on your eating and drinking
habits throughout the day. It is also important to
note you will also be carrying a lot of water weight
from all the excess sodium: until you do not get
that down, your weight will appear than it usually
is. Give it a few weeks for your body to get back
on track.- Drink water: The best way to fl ush the sodium out
of your body is by increasing your water intake.
Drink a litre of water between meals to reduce your
hunger pangs and make it a habit to drink 1/2-1
litres of water. This way, you will be consuming
3-4 litres of water without forgetting. Another tip to
help fi ght bloating is by increasing food rich fi bre,
and avoiding foods which cause bloating such as
beans, onions, cabbage and caulifl ower. Try to eat
5-7 portions of fruit and vegetables per day. - Cardio: Include 3-4 sessions of wake-up steady
state cardio or post weight training, 30-minute
steady state cardio in the fi rst two weeks. This
may feel long and monotonous, but nothing fi ghts
holiday fat like steady state cardio. Make sure you
are working in an aerobic state and not pushing
too hard during these cardio sessions. A power/
brisk/slightly inclined walk or bike ride should do
the trick. - Eat in: Religiously avoid going out to eat for one
week more. Stick to home food and even better,
meal prep. You may not have time for this, but
boiling rice and beans in bulk to last you a few
days is not as time consuming as you think. Even
“Avoid processed foods such
as chips, cookies and candies.”