Press ‘Reset’ – How to Feel Good After an Indulgent Summer

Welcome to 2016…How are you feeling after an over indulgent festive period, a little bit blah? The good news is that getting into shape isn’t too complicated if you can start with small changes here and there.

Here are some simple steps you can take NOW to get you feeling, looking and moving better.

1. Remove alcohol

Why? Alcohol is high in sugar, highly inflammatory & your liver has to work super hard to process it. When your liver is functioning well it is a fat burning furnace!

Try this – Cut you weekly intake by half. Slowly reduce how much you are drinking weekly before you go cold turkey. Why not sign up for Feb Fast?

2. Add more Fibre at breakfast and drink more water

Why? Starting your day with a high fibre breakfast will help you avoid constipation and is guaranteed to help flatten your tummy fast. Fibre helps with digestion, removes excess fluid from the lower belly and keeps you feeling full.

Water helps with elimination and often dehydration can mask itself as hunger so drinking more water will usually leave you feeling less hungry throughout the day.

Try these recipes! Full of fibre and protein, both meals are thick, creamy and delicious plus they keep me full until lunchtime. Try Superstar Breakfast Pudding or Protein Porridge

3. Remove sugar & processed foods

Why? Processed foods have very little bang for their buck – they are calorie dense, nutrient poor. Sugar and trans fatty foods are highly inflammatory, leaving you looking and feeling tired and bloated. Packaged, processed foods are highlyaltered with chemicals that can overload your body with toxins, leaving youwith sluggish metabolism and other related health issues. They age you, make you fat and leave you feeling blah!

Try this: Avoid the obvious culprits like confectionary, biscuits, cakes, chips etc. but also be aware of hidden nasties in takeaway, sauces and packaged foods. Need some inspiration? Here are some of my favourite snacks.

4. Add in greens and a small serve of protein at every meal

Why? By adding a small serve of protein and a serve of veggies to every meal you will become a fat burning machine! Green veggies help remove waste and toxins, protein keeps your blood sugar levels (insulin) under control, reduces cravings and leaves you feeling full which is often your best weapon in stopping you reaching for the biscuits! You will feel lighter, leaner and focused so you can get through your day.

Try this , stick this simple portion planner and food checklist on your fridge as a simple guide of how to construct your plate.

Tip – a good quality super greens supplement can be a great way to add the green into your diet when you are busy or travelling. Try Bare Blends Bare Greens. You can find this at Harris Farm in Drummoyne, About Life and most Health food Stores.

5. When it comes to exercise, choose quality over quantity

Lift weight to shift weight! Whether you move your own body or use free weights, by adding weighted/resistance exercises to your program you will create and support lean muscle while reducing overall body fat, support your metabolism, support strong bones and reduce your risk of pain and injury.

Sometimes, less is more. When is comes to cardio, a mixture of High Intensity IntervalTraining (HIIT) is far more effective than long, low intensity cardio exercise (like slow jogging). What exactly is HIIT? True interval training consists of equal work to rest periods. This allows you to put in close to maximal effort during the work phase, while giving yourself the same amount of time, or more, to let you heart rate return close to normal. The benefits are far reaching! HIIT training increases metabolic demand for up to 48 hours after exercise, supports the development of lean muscle, which creates long lean curves, improves your cardiovascular fitness and improves most health markers such as blood pressure and insulin control. Plus, it is time efficient! Done at the right intensity, you can have your HIIT session done in less than 30 minutes.

Try this quick workout: Choose 5 simple bodyweight exercises, for example, push ups, squats, superman’s, lunges and high knees. Start with 30 seconds of push-ups, then rest for 30 seconds. Follow with 30 seconds of squats, and then rest for 30 seconds and so on. Take 60 seconds to recover at the end of the 5 exercises before repeating the circuit again. If you are a beginner, then simply modify the exercises and allow for a bigger rest period. You can repeat this as many times as you like, depending on you fitness and ability.

However – don’t go hard every day! Rest and recovery is essential for maximal results. Alternate your days of High Intensity with active recovery days – do yoga, go for a walk or enjoy some easy swimming.

Getting into shape and starting to look, feel and move better isn’t as hard as you think – it starts with small consistent habits that slowly build to become daily habits. Take action rather than wait for motivation and reap the benefits of subtle changes. Make 2016 your year of looking and feeling great!

Guest Contributor:

Tegan Cassar is a Personal Trainer and mother of three.

Her business Fit Reflection specializes in health and fitness just for women and run out of a private studio in Balmain. For more information go to www.fitreflection.com.au