By: Amanda Clement
Sara (one of our fab clients) and Amanda enjoying a social night out
When you’re living in a place where every day seems to have some sort of event, party or celebration, it can often become difficult to maintain an active social life and a healthy lifestyle.
From Wednesday girls’ night out events, to after work drinks on a Friday and then dinner with friends on Saturday, followed by a cheeky champagne brunch on Sunday, the constant consumption of calorific food and drinks can really take a toll on your body.
Now don’t get me wrong, its great to treat yourself every so often and you should never compromise your social life, but in the long-term it’s important to make the right food choices along the way – and with that you’ll get more benefits from regular workouts.
I’m a very social person so here’s a few things that have helped me stay on track:
1) Alternate your drinks - Have that cocktail or glass (or two) of wine but one thing to remember is that most cocktails are packed with sugar and are high in calories. Check out this infographic (Yikes! 559 calories for a single Pina Colada)
Instead, look at alternative options such as soda water based mixers (without syrup) that will not only keep you hydrated throughout the night, but have little to zero sugar in them.
2) Watch what’s on your plate – When eating out, try ordering ‘healthier’ meals. For example, reduce your portions of rice or pasta, order vegetables without sauce, control your portion sizes and stop when you are almost full. How? Ask the waiter to take your plate away. Easy!
When you are not hungry, avoid gorging just because the food is there. It’s the small changes that can really make a difference and healthy doesn’t mean boring. In fact healthier meals are just as delicious, if not more. Bonus: You’ll feel less sluggish and bloated throughout the night.
3) Involve your friends – If you eat out often try involving your friends in your health quest and look at ordering healthier shared meals. It’s so much easier when you have a buddy or group of friends who share similar interests, as you’ll be more likely to stay on track. But if this is not possible, be selective in what you eat from any shared meals, and perhaps order something on the side just for yourself.
4) Dance- Because why not! Oh and it’s a great way to burn some extra calories and tone those sexy pins.
Healthy living isn’t about depriving and denying yourself of anything – it’s about making smarter and healthier choices to feel better in your own skin. Your food intake and lifestyles impacts your body and energy levels, and it just requires a few small tweaks here and there to really make a difference. And when your diet is on point, and you are active with regular exercise, you’ll begin to see the changes in how you feel and look.
Treat yourself to a night out, then join us at one of our amazing bootcamps for free. SIGN UP and let’s get fit together.