Ok so we all feel it. Our jeans are a little tighter, our t-shirts are feeling a little snug, and we’re in a Christmas food coma. We’ve had our fill of turkey and stuffing sambos and polished off the last tin of Celebrations, so it’s finally time to start thinking about getting back on the health and fitness wagon. The dread!
This can be a tough process, so we decided to seek the help of personal trainer and lifestyle coach Maeve Madden. She gave us her top three tips for how to bounce back after the festive period, and they are all surprisingly straight forward and easy to follow.
The hardest step to take is the first, but with these pro tips you’ll be back on that cross trainer and eating your greens in no time. ‘New year, new me’ has never been easier!
1. Set a goal and stick to it: “We all begin the year with the most wonderful intentions. Many of us make the mistake of committing to too many New Years resolutions, or choosing to over-challenge ourselves with impractical ones like ‘I am never going to eat sugar again’ or ‘I will wake up every morning at 6am and workout.’
“My advice is don’t set too many goals. Pick one that is realistic for you and stick to it. Losing a stone in a month is unrealistic, but losing a stone by Easter is achievable. By following a healthy lifestyle plan and adding regular exercise to your weekly routine this can be done.”
2. Cut the crap: “Counting macros, carb cycling, calorie counting, 5/2 diets, meal prepping the list goes on and on. Even I am confused by all these complicated methods. We all know what a healthy meal is, I say stick to eating foods with no ingredients because real food doesn’t come with a label.
“One of the most important things you can do to ensure you reach your goal is to start each day with a healthy protein rich breakfast. Many studies show that people who start their day fuelled are more likely to maintain a healthy body weight and great levels of fitness.
3. Detox your kitchen: “This is my number one tip for all my clients. If it’s not there you won’t eat it. Many of us, including myself, struggle when we know there are so called ‘treats’ in the house. I would literally tear the house apart if I thought there was chocolate somewhere! What you eat in private you eventually wear in public, so to get lean we’ve got to eat clean.
“I always stock my fridge and cupboards with plenty of real, fresh foods. I eat 3 healthy protein rich meals every day and if I want to snack I always have jars of nuts and berries in the house. Our bodies are not meant to deal with fake foods and thats why we can get tired and feel lazy.
“A healthy outside starts from the inside. Don’t diet, just eat healthy foods and be the best version of you.”
You can check out more of Maeve’s tips on her Instagram account, and follow her how-to guides on Snapchat: Maeve_Madden. She’ll also be holding a Beauty, Fitness and Fashion workshop with her best pal and model Shauna Lindsay on January 8th at the Bunratty Castle Hotel.