The holiday season is in full swing - which means, so are your long-awaited vacation plans! It’s time to explore another city, revisit old favourites, and eat incredible food… oh wait, perhaps not the last one.

You see for some, holidays mean going on a massive food binge.

And although, there’s nothing wrong in indulging in delicious food, it’s no question that staying in shape is equally important.

Whilst neglecting a healthy lifestyle may not be in anyone’s “holiday itinerary”, we understand that it can be a huge challenge for most of us.  

Here are 5 easy tricks to stay in shape even during the holidays:

Start your day with a big and healthy breakfast

Having a big and healthy breakfast will keep your stomach full for much longer, and prevent you from indulging in high-calorie snacks before lunch time.

Build a big breakfast around nutrient-dense foods to get the most benefit. Include whole grains, protein, and fiber.

Have at least one yogurt per day

Yogurt is a low-fat food packed with calcium and protein, helping burn fat and promote weight loss.

Eating yogurt every day can help regulate your digestive system by decreasing gas, diarrhea, constipation, and bloating.

Here are easy ways to incorporate yogurt into your diet, even when you’re on a holiday:

- Have an 8 ounce container as a healthy snack during the day, or as a base for breakfast or lunch.

- Add a cup of yogurt with a half cup of fresh fruit or whole grain granola during meals

- Substitute low-fat yogurt for mayonnaise

- Step up your smoothie game with yogurt, instead of milk!

Drink a lot of water

Although this sounds cliche but, truth be told, a lot of us still tend to skip on water when we travel.

There are various reasons why - carrying a water bottle can be a hassle, peeing in public places isn’t entirely convenient, clean water may not be widely accessible, and more.

You see, you don’t have to drink tons and tons of water every day. Just enough of an amount to keep you hydrated and avoid unnecessary hunger pangs.

Incorporate an active activity into your itinerary

We understand how difficult it is to stick to a consistent workout routine while traveling. So instead of trying to squeeze it into your tight schedule, make the most out of your current itinerary and your surrounding areas.

If you stay close to the park, walk.

If you’re on a seaside vacation, try paddle boarding, surfing, or even swimming.

If you’re camping, incorporate hiking into your schedule.

And if you’re staying a lot longer in one city, see if you can try a new cultural experience to keep your body active.

Say, salsa if you’re in Spain; yoga if you’re in India; Muay Thai if you’re in Thailand, and so much more!

The beauty of these vacation activities is, it’s not only a great way to pass time, but you’ll also be able to learn something new and help keep your body in shape!

Never compromise on sleep

A lot of people have poor sleeping habits, and are chronically sleep deprived. This often becomes much worse during a holiday, where you attempt to squeeze in a million different things throughout the day.

Make sleep a priority, whether you’re traveling or not, as sleep deprivation can be one of the major causes of weight gain.

Here are some tricks to help you sleep better:

- Wear an eye mask

- Use ear plugs

- Switch off gadgets at least 2 hours before bedtime

To know more on how you could reverse your holiday weight gain, read our recent article here - http://bit.ly/2nztNoj.

And if you need a little extra hand with reversing that holiday weight gain, speak to our slimming experts on 04 343 7987.