For a lot of people summer can be a challenging time of year to work on fat loss. There seem to be a lot of social occasions, impromptu BBQ’s, invitations to pop around for drinks – you know how it goes. One minute you are smack on track with your eating, next thing it all goes out the window once the nibble platters appear.
Because, let’s face it, most invitations for drinks also include platters of little yummy things. Those little yummy things plus the glasses of wine add up to several dinners, before dinner is even cooked.
Would you eat seven slices of bread in one go and not think it might impact on fat loss? No? Well, calorie wise, that’s what is in that bottle of wine you just drank. Add to that half a dozen or more nibbles and you have the equivalent of four dinners, before you even get to dinner.
That might be okay if it is once a week and the rest of the week you are on to it; exercising regularly and being mindful of what you eat. However, many people find that over summer the social occasions ramp up and their results falter.
The ironic thing is that summer should be the easiest time of the year to drop body fat as we have an abundance of low calorie veggies and we generally feel like eating less in the hot weather. Also, there aren’t many excuses for not exercising with the long, fine days.
If you find limiting how much you drink an issue, maybe consider taking a mini bottle of wine out with you, along with a big bottle of sparkling water. The mini bottles give two small glasses of wine which is the safe limit for a woman to drink per day.
A lot of people aren’t aware of the health implications of drinking too much alcohol on a regular basis. What is too much? The safe limit for women is two standard drinks per day and that equals 200mls of wine. For men it is three standard drinks and for all, the advice is to have two alcohol free days per week as a minimum. This isn’t about being a wowser, it is about looking after your health in the long term.
Heavy drinking has always been known to be linked to cancer, liver disease and heart problems, but now doctors are concerned about the rising problem of alcohol-related dementia, which causes personality change and brain damage.
The message here is to drink wisely and in moderation. Remember that bottle of wine is not just a social lubricant and a way to relax after work, it contains empty calories and in excess may cause health issues.
Keeping on the lighter food theme, here are a couple of easy recipes to cook on the BBQ or grill.
Greek chicken
BBQ’d veggies
Lamb burgers with mushroom buns
Lettuce wrapped burgers
Hydration
Remember to keep your fluids up and herbals teas are an excellent way to increase your water intake. There is a huge variety available now, something to suit everyone’s taste. Be mindful that if you are drinking lots of diet drinks during the day, you are replacing healthy water with a drink that is basically chemicals and colour. Try some teas instead.
Testimonial
I always appreciate receiving testimonials from clients. Julie recently sent me her one which you can read here.
A lot of my new clients come from my website and they often say that it was after reading the success stories they felt they could do it too. Real stories from real people and if you would like to add yours, I’d love to hear from you. Thank you.
Keep in mind the seven slices of bread in that bottle of wine and if you’ve overdone it, well, you know where I am so contact me now so that we can set up an appointment.
The holidays are pretty much over and it’s time to get back into good habits again.
