So that's it then...
winter is here.
No more outdoor exercise, no more strolls in the park,no more easy- to- get- out- of- bed days.
The flab monster is on the prowl.
Did you know that the average person puts on 11lbs between the end of November and Jan 1st?? Yup, staggering but true.
As the days get shorter and colder, our motivation levels to exercise and eat well seem to go down the proverbial toilet here are my top tips on avoiding the winter weight gain - THE FLAB MONSTER!! 1.
Make a huge attempt to do some form of exercise- time is no excuse, half an hour will do.
The fitter and healthier you are the more resistance you have to colds and infections.
Don't make excuses; you'll just end up hibernating under a duvet watching telly and eating Pringles! 2.
Do resistance training 3x a week.
Again I cannot make this important enough! Resistance training increasing muscle mass, which in turn increases metabolism, high metabolism = fat pulverizing furnace of a body!! 3.
Eat small amounts of GOOD fats: avocado, oily fish, olive/flax oil, nuts and seeds, these will take care of your cardiovascular system (heart, arteries and veins).
Eat less BAD fats: Fried food, meat, cakes, chocolate, crisps, biscuits, butter, these will harm your cardiovascular system, and make you fat.
Remove ALL hydrogenated fats from your diet, they are very bad for you and hide in many ready made biscuits, cakes, crisps, puddings, sweets, chocolates.
These fats are extremely harmful to your health.
Avoiding them will help you avoid foods which are high in fat, sugar and salt and low in nutrients.
Check labels.
4.
Don't overdue the carbohydrates- this is fat loss suicide but is extremely common in winter when it's cold and you have the urge for starchy food.
Refined carbohydrates such as bread and pasta are very difficult to digest, causing bloating, water retention and body fat storage.
Try to keep your carbohydrates to great vegetables such as broccoli, spinach and sweet potato.
If you really want to lose fat- remove all refined carbohydrates from your diet.
5.
EAT YOUR BREAKFAST- this is simple, but so many people still ignore this.
Studies show that if you skip breakfast you increase your chances of gaining weight by 450%!!! That is huuuuuuge!! No excuses: you have no time-get up earlier.
Your too tired-go to bed earlier.
Your not hungry- cut out the late night snacks, these will not only be stored as body fat but will more than likely be stopping you making any real progress.
6.
Get some social support, two of my colleagues, Alwyn Cosgrove and Craig Ballantyne, both of whom write for the top fitness magazines on the planet and just so happen to be the top two fat loss coaches in the world both state the fact that social support is the number 1 factor in people achieving their fat loss goals.
Whether that is through a spouse, friend, personal trainer or through a group such as our fitness camp http://www.
thefitnesscamp.
co.
uk, make sure you have someone to be accountable to!! It's easy to convince yourself you don't need to go to the gym tonight, but it aint so easy to convince someone else!