The over-eating at Christmas and over-drinking at New Year hasn’t done our bodies any favours.
In fact, eating and drinking like it’s Christmas does a lot more harm to our bodies than we might think!
Don’t believe us? Take a look at this infographic from AXA PPP healthcare.
Now that Valentine’s Day is done and dusted, the next big date in the calendar is our summer holidays! And what do we need to do on our summer holidays? Wear a bikini!
If that thought fills you with dread and has you breaking out in a nervous sweat, don’t worry, because we have some very helpful tips to help you on the road to the perfect bikini body. Here goes:
1. Cut out alcohol
No one wants a beer belly – and the clue is in the title, so the first thing to do when embarking on your weight loss journey is to cut out the alcohol. Not only will it be great for your waistline, but you’ll also find that you’ll have more energy and more motivation as the weeks and months go on, too. Plus, there are lots of empty calories in a glass of wine; wouldn’t you rather use your calories on a scrumptious meal that is going to fill you up for longer?
2. Reduce salt and sugar intake
Salt and sugar are not only bad for your waistline, but there are so many other health and beauty problems linked to them too. Avoid foods with high salt levels, and try and get out of the habit of adding more salt to your plate.
3. Drink lots of water
Drinking water at certain times of the day can be very effective; drinking it a couple of hours before a meal can help digestion, and drinking it in-between meals will help keep you fuller for longer. Believe it or not, you’re not always craving food when your stomach starts to rumble – a lot of the time you’re actually dehydrated and that’s just your body’s way of letting you know. Drinking water throughout the day will also do wonders for your skin!
4. Ditch the snacks and eat more fruit and veg
We all get cravings between meals – it’s perfectly natural and we shouldn’t deprive our bodies of fuel when we need it most – but we’d suggest ditching the crisps and chocolate bars and going for something like dried nuts and dried fruits or maybe even a healthy fruit smoothie instead. And it goes without saying, but fruits and vegetables are our friends, so let’s make sure we get as much of them in our diets as possible.
5. Exercise for 30 minutes a day & take the stairs instead of the elevator
You don’t need to be a hardcore gym bunny and spend every waking moment in the gym to change your body for the better; simple exercise for just 30 minutes a day will do wonders for your body, as will making small but worthwhile changes such as taking the stairs instead of the lift or walking up the escalator instead of standing still. Or, if you take public transport to work, why don’t you get off one or two tube or bus stops early and walk the rest of the way? Walking will also do wonders for your stress levels too; standing in a squashed tube carriage like a sardine isn’t the best way to start or finish your working day, is it?
6. Eat breakfast
Skipping meals is not the answer to losing weight or achieving great body results, and breakfast is actually the most important meal of the day so it would be almost unthinkable to miss out. Set your alarm ten minutes early – or stop hitting the snooze button – to ensure you get a healthy and satisfying breakfast and get your metabolism off to a flying start.
7. Drink Green Tea
Green tea is proven to reduce fat and stimulate metabolism thanks to all the potent antioxidants found in it – both of which get huge ticks from us to help us on the road to the perfect bikini body!
