Well hello there
So, time to fess up.
I’m writing this on the plane back from a 11 day holiday in Minorca. Fully inclusive.
Last year I wrote THIS article about how to survive the fully inclusive holiday, without damaging your health and fitness too much.
Well, wasn’t I smug then…
I started with great intentions: morning runs, sunset yoga and restricting pudding to once a day. But by the half way point I had most certainly lost control: chocolate pancakes and lie-ins most mornings… cava, mohitos, most nights…
So, hey ho. I’m human, dontcha know?
But before I launch into my top tips, I wanna tell you WHY it is important to actively lose your holiday bulge. I read a study (but can’t find it again) which demonstrated the link between holiday bulge and long term weight gain over adulthood. The findings were staggering. Most of an adults weight gain can be traced back to holidays and Christmas. A large percentage of all weight gained through the life of an average adult is directly linked back to these two events. So for example, you go on holiday and put on 4 pounds but only lose 3. Because we all know that last pound is the hardest to lose, right? And then before you know it, it’s Christmas. And the same pattern repeats. So over that year you add about 2lbs.
Some of us are lucky to go away more that once a year, add in other special occasions and you can see where the problem compounds itself.
So now I’ve made my case. Here’s my top tips to lose that excess weight super fast:
- Go carb-free for 5-10 days. Chances are you’ve been indulging in pastries and lovely bread. So now’s the time to reset your insulin response as well as your tastebuds! A short term banning of all pasta, pizza, rice, potatoes and of course all treats, is super effective to help you beat the bloat.
- Take an Omega 3 supplement. Some portion of your weight gain will be due to inflammation. Sugary food, alcohol and late nights will have caused bloating and inflammation in the body. And Omega 3s are brilliant for combating this. Take the maximum dose recommended on your packet. And try to add anti-inflammatory foods into your diet too (like oily fish, leafy greens, bluberries)
- Drink lots of water. 2 litres minimum and 3 litres is ideal.
- Get exercising [obvs!] The laundry can wait. Get back into your routine. Although you might want to prioritise work, unpacking and laundry, every day that you DO workout is a day that you’re burning some 500 kcals of that holiday excess.
- Miss a meal, or two. I don’t generally recommend missing meals. BUT this is different. You’ve eaten in excess for a week or more. So a bit of fasting will do you good, reduce calories and give you digestive system a break. My favourite way to fast is to have just two meals a day: normally brunch and tea. I like this rigid routine. It’s exactly what I need after the free-for-all of a fully inclusive resort. Generally I might have two fast days followed by a normal day. And I’d expect to need this for about a week or 10 days.
So in theory, I should to return to pre-holiday weight of 56.5 kgs within 10 days (I’m writing this on 30 August)
Feel free to ask about my progress!!
PS: Weighed myself first thing the morning after we landed. Damage is 59.2 kgs… So work to be done!
