Carla works full time of UK’s top supplement companies, models and is a mum to her 5 year old son. She balances fitness with her a hectic lifestyle, and uses her social media profiles to help motivate others with her experiences and tips. Carla shares her top tips for staying shape over Christmas.
Xmas Food
1: Always eat your veggies, I am portuguese and love my carbs, i find around the festive period if I make sure to load up on veggies I don’t have as much appetite for the starchy carbs, but can still enjoy them
2: Same as with the veggies, eating your proteins first will help you feel fuller, and you will need less of the naughty food to satisfy your cravings
3: Drink water, we will all be drinking a little more alcohol over xmas, so make sure you are drinking plenty of water, as one of the main causes of the dreaded hangover is dehydration.
4: Don’t be scared to let yourself have treats, a few small bites of chocolate is much better than putting it off and ending up bingeing, I and a lot of the fitness girls I know eat small treats quite often it helps keep cravings in check
5: Don’t feel guilty, if you do splurge and have some treats and extra food don’t beat yourself up about it, just pick yourself up and get on, just try and make sure your next meal is a healthy one
Xmas Exercise
1: Make sure to get your workouts in early in the week as the weeks will fly by and the weekends will always end up busy with shopping, party’s etc but isn’t that the fun bits of xmas
2: Don’t be scared to take time off, extra rest days give your body and mind a chance to recover and when you do get back to exercise you will have more energy and feel more motivated
3: Be open to different types of exercise, we all end up so busy this time of year that getting to the gym becomes even more difficult than normal. It can be a fun change of base to dig out old exercise dvd’s (sure you have some from last christmas), i am teaching my son to skip at the moment, that in itself is a great workout, or have you ever tried shopping in Oxford St this time of year thats definitely a workout.
4: Exercise with a friend, we all struggle to catch up with friends at xmas why not combine the two, meeting a friend at the gym before you go for dinner or drinks is a great way to catch up get a workout and enjoy xmas
5: Get out for walks, heading out for walks in the winter are great way to enjoy the time of year and spend quality time with the family, I always like to head up and see all the christmas lights with my family, a good few hours walking around burns its fair share of calories
My best tip of all is
1. Enjoy it xmas is all about having fun, we all over indulge a little, if you are doing everything right 90% of the time those few bits of extra food and lazy days aren’t going to do you any harm
2. Start january with a plan, make sure to recognise what you achieved this year, but starting january with firm health and fitness goals, will help you stay motivated and goal orientated.
By Carla Curva