With Eid in full swing and Hari Raya, the vibrant Hindu festival of lights, Diwali, and Hong Kong National Day just around the corner, many of us will be celebrating, attending festivals and visiting family over the coming weeks.
Losing weight is easiest when you have a familiar and healthy routine to rely on. But we all know how easy it can be to let our healthy intentions slide we're travelling or eating away from home.
However, it is possible to enjoy yourself and take part in the celebrations without ruining your weight loss plans. It just takes a bit of forward thinking.
We've got the ultimate guide to staying healthy on the move, which we hope will help you through the holiday season, whatever your mode of transport or destination.
Travelling by car
It’s very easy to be lured by the array of brightly-lit roadside vendors when travelling long distances in the car. However, these will do little for your weight loss journey and simply get your trip off to an unhealthy start. Instead, begin your trip as you mean to go on.
When packing for a road trip, allow enough time to make a healthy snack for you and the family. Make the meal part of your holiday by stopping at a scenic picnic spot on route, where you can indulge in your healthy sandwiches, salads, noodles and fresh fruit. Take the opportunity to try out some of the delicious recipes from The Club by preparing a Thai beef salad or apricot, ginger and honey cookies in advance.
While pulled over, take the opportunity to go for a stroll and stretch your legs. If you’ve packed a ball have a quick game before setting off again to get some exercise into your day.
Travelling by aeroplane
Few of our tastebuds get tickled when we think of aeroplane food, but it is even less appealing when focusing on a healthy diet. Before leaving home, eat a substantial healthy meal to set you up before the long journey. Take a healthy snack with you to the airport, such as some granola, nuts, wholegrain crackers or dried fruit, which you can munch on before and during the flight.
If you’re on a long-haul flight and can’t avoid the aeroplane meals, find out both the meat and vegetarian choices and pick the healthier option, ideally something steamed or boiled without too much sauce.
Flying is very dehydrating and sometimes thirst can be mistaken for hunger, so buy a large bottle of water once you’ve gone through customs to take on the flight. It’s essential to stay hydrated to help fend off the feelings of tiredness, poor cognitive response and fatigue that occur when travelling. As your normal routine is suspended for the journey it is easy to forget to drink, so an ongoing conscious attempt to consume at least 2-3 litres of water for men and 1-2 litres of water for women is vital.
As tempting as it is to treat yourself to a little mile-high tipple, it’s important to stay away from the alcohol trolley. Not only will this add to your calorie count, but it will also dehydrate you further and leave you open to temptation when the snack trolley makes an appearance. If you're looking for something other than water, herbal tea bags are easy to carry on and are both detoxifying and delicious – just order hot water.
Staying with the family
If you’re staying with your family the very first thing you need to do is tell them about your new healthy plans. If they don’t know, they will continue to ply you with fatty foods and won’t respect your decision to say no. Once they all know that you’re trying to improve your health you will have their upmost support.
It’s an idea to go shopping beforehand and take some healthier options with you. This way you won’t feel like you’re inconveniencing anybody and you won’t have to resort to what’s put in front of you.
If you’re not near your usual gym, why not try encouraging some family walks and games in order to get your daily exercise. A walk with friends and family is a lovely way to spend an afternoon, and doesn't involve separating yourself from the rest of the party to work out in the gym.
Staying at a hotel
Before booking your hotel, it is important to do some research into the fitness facilities available. For example, is there a gym and swimming pool you can use in order to continue your exercise program? Maybe they offer classes that you can attend, such as circuits or water aerobics?
Don’t forget to look into the on-site and nearby restaurant choices and check they have healthier options available. Many restaurants now have basic nutritional information and calorie counts available online and on the menu.
If you’ve opted to go all-inclusive there is usually a buffet on offer morning, noon and night. This is when most of us overindulge and succumb to temptation. Avoid the fatty fry ups in the morning and opt for the continental option instead; fresh fruit, cereal and wholegrain toast. For lunch and dinners try to stick to grilled meats and lots of vegetables and salad. Avoid anything that has been fried and instead go for steamed or boiled. Rather than picking up a large dinner plate at the start of the queue, take a side plate instead to ensure you stick to your correct portion sizes.
Throughout the day it’s essential to keep hydrated. If it’s warm you’ll be losing moisture through sweat so you need to drink lots of water. Fruit juices and drinks such as coffee can exacerbate dehydration as they can act as a diuretic causing the body to lose fluid, so stick to water or herbal tea sweetened with a little honey.
Whatever event you're celebrating, have a happy holiday, and don't forget to share your stories with other members on The Biggest Loser Club forums.