MANAGING DIET AND FITNESS ON HOLIDAY

Hi again,

I thought I'd post tonight about my plan for managing my diet (read that: food intake and NOT: restrictive  and regimented eating plan) and fitness while on holiday. In the past this has always been a huge challenge for me and one that I've failed at often, resulting in several extra kilos to then diet off when life went back to normal.

So here's my approach this time.

Firstly December is a challenging month on the eating and drinking front when you decide to enjoy the festive season. My alcohol intake shot up, but I only overindulged a couple of times and was ok with that. We just found we were having a social drink or a celebratory drink far more often so there were a few more than usual empty calories going down the hatch. On the food front I found myself eating a little more than usual on those social occassions but again it was all pretty much under control. I continued to run on most days so my slight widening of my midsection girth was not in the serious league. Nevertheless my guess is that about 1 - 1.5 kilos crept back on. (previously this would have been 3 at the least).

On Christams Day I ate well but didnt stuff myself and as I had volunteered to drive after we were at my mum's for the main festivities so I drank nothing all afternoon. Ok so it wasnt a good idea to down 5 or 6 champagnes at breakfsat but they were French and therefore VERY good. I paid for them though with a ripper headache for the rest of the day.

After Christmas Day I eased back on the food and yes I was the only one in my family who went for a run on Boxing Day whilst the in laws walked the dogs (better than nothing I guess). Still was having wine daily though as its still the festive season.

Now that we're in Sunshine Beach and still in "relaxed holiday mode" here is my approach to keeping it all under control:

1. I run each day and I swim some breaststroke laps on most days. It is extremely hilly here and my calves are absolutely SCREAMING but I push on even if I have to resort to my "Cliff Young on prozac shuffle" (picture a run slower than slow). This morning I was out before 7am (yes a true die-hard that just couldnt sleep in) and shuffled uphill and ran downhills for an hour to burn 900+ calories.

2. Food is fantastic. We are having bircher muesli (made by me) for breakfast, cold meats, a little cheese and fresh and marinated veges for lunch, tropical fruit and then simple dinners of mainly (fresh) seafood for dinner with Greek salad. Its awesome. Tasty, healthy and quick and easy to prepare. I go out for a nice coffee each day but I resist the cakes. Yes I love them but they are a treat food that I have when I REALLY feel like it.

3. A holiday tradition for us is "beer-o'clock" where we sit down around 5pm and have a drink and a few nibbles. I love this time but I'm keeping it under control with one vodka, diet lime and soda a few nuts and Grain Waves. In the past I'd gorge on the nibble foods and have at least 2 drinks and just get fatter and fatter by the day.

4. Oh and we still have wine with dinner.

I havent been on the scales since the end of November but I can feel that some of my pre-Christmas girth widening has reduced and I feel great both physically and mentally. I wear my bikini and dont feel like a self conscious beached whale. I go running in shorts and whilst my legs are far from good (let alone perfect) I'm ok with how they look. But more importantly, I'm living my life how I want to live it. Enjoying my food. Enjoying my wine. But keeping it all in balance. And I know I'll go home without the dreaded extra 3-4 kilos of holiday bloat that always accompanied my previous holidays and thats the BEST feeling ever.

:-) Magda