At last, the Big Chillax is almost here. The fridge is stocked for Christmas, holiday up the coast is booked, and gym membership/ Chocolate Fitness is soon to be paused…
Then, New Year’s Ground Hog Day comes along and every year we party our way to another round of resolutions.
But in the meantime, over our previous fortnight of fabulous indulgence, all that wonderful wellbeing work of the old year can be sucked down the party plug hole.
Good news-It is possible to mitigate the disaster! Here's the checklist:
1. When partying, drink plenty of water when partying. This will keep you hydrated and help moderate the consumption of those other drinks.
2. Plan your holiday workouts by scheduling a before and after party session, preferably with friends and family to keep you (and them) honest. If you decide to go hard, wait until later in the day and keep hydrated. Keep in mind that alcohol directly impacts muscle development and sabotages metabolism, killing any aspirations of weight loss. You are also more likely to get injured so keep it simple and low impact.
3. For dinner pre-party, eat plenty of lean proteins and good fats. This may help you avoid those midnight munchies when, like all mere mortals, you will almost certainly succumb to those high calorie, salty, fried, snacks
4. Morning after foods: Slow-release carbs and electrolytes plus a little protein are a great way to fortify E.g. Porridge and coconut water smoothies
DRINKS PLANNER
Not assuming for a second that there are no non-drinkers amongst us, but below is a quick planner for those of us less pious:
Bubbles: – Standard Flute
Prosecco 80 cals
Extra-brut champers 100 cals
Sparkling Rose 120 cals
100 Calorie Drinks:
Light beer
Vodka, soda and lime (not cordial)
Tequila over ice with lime (not cordial) and soda
Popular Cocktails
G&T 170 cals
Negronis 195 cals
Aperol Spritz 158 cals
Cocktail Calorie Bombs
Margarita 458 cals
Mojito 426 cals
Pina Colada 818 cals
This one is my personal fave. As a runner, for my weight, I need to run for 70 minutes at 12 km/hour to burn off one lovely concoction . 4 pina coladas and I need to run a full marathon – not what I would choose on New Year’s Day)
To help you with your New Year's Resolutions, I will be around before Dec 23 and after Dec 29. Workouts may slow down just a little to allow us to ease into the new year, but pending demand, over the holiday season I am planning to continue with:
Kayak Fitness Wed Jan 5 onwards 9:15-10:45
Saturday Jan 8 onwards 8:30-10:00
Bootcamps Friday Jan 7 onwards 9:30-10:30
Let me know if you would like to a curated sessions for you, your friends or your family.
Merry Christmas all - may the festivities begin!