With Christmas now firmly behind us, the majority of us will now admit that the extra slice of Christmas cake or finishing off that bottle of wine has probably taken it’s toll! Well here at Commando Conditioning, we’ve not only got the instructors to get you fit and healthy, but the advice too. Here are our top 10 tips for shedding those post Christmas pounds:

1. Start a fitness intervention

This does not mean you have to join the gym or employ a personal trainer. It could just be walking to work (even if you park the car a mile away from work and walk the last mile). Taking the stairs instead of the lift or taking up a new hobby such as yoga or a martial art. Basically do something in your life that will increase the amount of exercise you do and therefore the number of calories you burn.

2. Start a food diary

If you don’t have a diary yet go and buy one and then use it to write down EVERYTHING you eat. Sometimes it is not until you see at the end of the day what you put into your body that you realise what needs changing. (NB. this diary includes all the pints on a Saturday afternoon with mates!)

3. Make the right carbohydrate choices

Ensure all your carbs are low glycemic choices: brown/wholemeal or wholegrain bread, rice and pasta. Cereals wise, choose porridge or mueseli instead of processed brands.
Additionally, try not to over eat on other carbohydrates such as biscuits and cakes with the morning coffee or tea, as well as potatoes (baked, roast or chips) with lunch, as these foods are higher glycemic and therefore cause a sugar spike which increases fat storage. Lastly, by eating less carbohydrate your body will source other energy sources and specifically the fat stored in your body.

4. Avoid alcohol

You have just drunk enough alcohol over Christmas and New year for the first 6 months of 2010. Why not make February completely alcohol free? If you are really strong, why not wait until Summer – which will help you have the body you want for the summer holiday. Whatever your choice, remember that 1 pint, 1 large glass of wine or one normal spirit and mixer is roughly equivalent in calories to that in a Mars bar. You may have 5 drinks in an evening – would you eat 5 Mars bars?

6. Eat more protein

Here at Commando Conditioning we are not a fan of fad diets. However, diets like the “Atkins Diet” do have some relevant ideas. Cutting out carbohydrates altogether is not good for the body and will effect the metabolism long term. However, along with tip 3 (not overeating/choosing the right carbs) can be to eat more protein.
Protein will fill you up and stop you snacking on carbs. Additionally, if you are following a fat burning exercise plan  then the added protein will help with muscle toning which will in turn increase fat burning, tone the body and leave you with the perfect beach body for summer.

7. Eat breakfast every day

The word breakfast means “break fast”, i.e. breaking the overnight “fast” from not eating. Most people think that by skipping breakfast they will eat less and therefore lose weight. This is not true. In fact, the opposite is true. By skipping breakfast the body thinks it is being starved, therefore when it does get food its ability to store carbohydrates as fat is greatly increased ready for tomorrows starvation. In short: eat breakfast, it is the most important meal of the day – boosting your metabolism and providing energy for the rest of the day. Muesli or porridge are always a great start as they provide low glycemic carbs to start and fuel the day ahead.

8. Meal sizes

We have all heard the saying “eat like a king at breakfast, queen at lunch and pauper in the evening”. Actually this is good advice, but for most of us, we don’t have time at breakfast and lunch to ensure they are our largest meals. However, the main point is not to over eat in the evening. It is better to eat 5 smaller meals throughout the day and therefore ensure your evening meal is a little smaller, than to get most of your daily calories in the evening and then go to bed or sit on the sofa. Your body will inevitably store some of these calories as fat.
However, don’t eat so little in the evening that you start snacking just before bed, eat enough to feel full, drink lots of water and then wait until breakfast – but make sure you eat breakfast!

9. Water

Drink water throughout the day. Try to cut down on tea and coffee as they are dehydrators but furthermore, caffeine is not good for the body in large amounts. Try carrying a bottle of water with you all day or keep a full glass on your desk all day. Either will encourage you to stay hydrated. Drinking lots of water will make you feel full and stop you snacking, but will also help with concentration and maintain your bodies normal functions. Lastly, always drink a large glass of water first thing in the morning. This will kick-start your metabolism and ensure re hydration after sleeping.

10. Cook your own food, you know what’s in it – eat with someone else

By cooking your own food, you know exactly what is in it. Even if you are using sauces/ingredients from a supermarket you can read the labels to find out how much salt, sugar etc is in it. Furthermore by cooking your own food you can choose the portion sizes yourself, so you can eat as much protein, carbs, vegetables etc as you want.

Research has shown, that if people eat on their own they tend to eat more, but preparing food for more than one person, people tend to eat less. So try and cook for a friend or a group of friends in the evening – but remember, don’t let anyone bring a bottle of wine!

Do you have any fitness related goals for 2010?  Are you planning to loose weight or perhaps you want to join a gym for the first time to improve your cardio-vascular fitness?   Please leave a comment below. Also why not checkout our free fat burning workout to get you in great shape for 2010?

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