Marion Shirran – Co developer of the Gastric Mind Band
We’ve put together our top 10 holiday weight loss tips, which happens to be a very hot topic. Holiday weight loss tips are an incredibly popular search engine request today, because more people are health conscious than ever before. Holiday weight loss tips, has over recent years been the chosen name of numerous articles around the subject of holidays and weight gain, and steps that could be undertaken in advance, and it does deserve a little consideration, we call it “Pre-Holiday Weight Preparation” Holiday Weight Loss Tips.
As someone who has never been overweight, I always had the good fortune to be in a position where I didn’t have to even think about potential weight gain when I went on holiday. or worry about reading around Top 10 Holiday Weight Loss Tips. That was until I reached my 40s! For the past few years, I’ve recognised that my body is different now: I think my metabolism is slightly less enthusiastic than it used to be when I was younger, and I’m aware that my body composition has changed too, which means that although I’m still very slim, and sit right at the lower end of the healthy body fat percentage for a woman of my age, my body shape tells me that I’m definitely carrying more visceral fat around the middle now, and whenever I gain a few pounds, that’s exactly where it goes!
I’ve worked in the field of weight loss for the past 10 years, and I’m very in tune with my body to the extent that I’ve weighed exactly the same, give or take five or six pounds, (approximately two-three kilos), for the last thirty years, since I was a teenager in fact.
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I really love my food (and drink too!), and I thoroughly enjoy both cooking at home and eating out, especially when we are on holiday. When it comes to holiday weight loss tips, for me personally, I tend to prefer eating healthily and only drinking alcohol in moderation at least most of the time. I am certainly not a perfectionist with regard to eating and drinking, and I’m not interested in even trying to be perfect either: I choose to enjoy being a fully-fledged and fallible member of the human race and be able to consume all the things I absolutely like the taste of, rather than being too rigid and only ever going for the super healthy option whenever I’m eating or drinking! In my opinion, trying to abide by some strict, unyielding and unrealistic standards when it comes to food and drink choices, is not entirely “normal”, and is definitely not an appealing way to live your life in the long-term!
Holiday weight loss tips starts with being Realistic
I’m not saying that I over-indulge continuously, but I have to hold my hand up and admit that I will quite probably consume more calories (in the form of multiple courses and a few glasses of wine) than my body needs when I eat out, for example, compared with eating at home (which is more likely to involve just one course and no alcohol, at least in the week). I don’t have a problem with this, because I’ve developed my own personal strategy over the years that includes holiday weight loss tips – this means I can quite happily go out for dinner a couple of times per week (as Martin and I do, on average), without gaining weight over the course of the week.
And the simple truth is that it’s not some complicated rocket science formula; it’s merely a matter of making sure that I do make particularly light eating choices either side of the dining out day, so that my overall calorie consumption for the week balances out and doesn’t exceed my actual calorie burn. I don’t consider this way of life as “dieting”: I see it as a means of enjoying the finer things in life, but in moderation, and being reasonably sensible the rest of the time!
Now when it comes to going on holiday, I regard that time as an extended pattern of dining out several days in a row, which is obviously far more than just our usual two evenings per week, so the inevitable result will be a certain degree of “holiday weight gain”. I want to fully participate in my holiday experience, which, for me, means having a pre-dinner G&T, and maybe several glasses of wine with lunch, as well as during the evening meal each day, and I am fully prepared to accept that this will easily amount to excess calories for my body.
Do you think I worry myself, or get into a panic about this? No, of course not! All I do is use the same technique that I employ for eating out in a normal week, except it becomes a slightly longer-term plan, during which I aim to actually shed a few pounds in the time leading up to the holiday, with the result that when I am walking onto the aircraft, or cruise ship on day one of my holiday I will weigh a few pounds less than usual, it’s my pre holiday preparation as far as my weight is concerned.
Again, I certainly don’t regard this as being on a “diet”: it’s simply my way of making sure that I can really enjoy myself and sample the delicious food and drinks that I know will be available while I am away without having to worry too much about my “expanding waistline”, I suppose it’s similar to the reverse of having a couple of pounds in the bank at the outset.
My ultimate aim is to get to the end of a holiday and my weight is maybe only a couple of pounds higher than what is normal for me. What a perfect result! Shedding a couple of extra pounds post-holiday is hardly a disaster; in fact it’s pretty easy and doesn’t take very long either, but only because I’ve put in the preparation beforehand.
I believe this is an option, an approach that many people could benefit from, and lets be truthful losing two or three pounds is not exactly hard work, and if you achieve it, we can guarantee you will start the trip with a ‘Spring in your Step’ So Ten Tips to Lose Weight Ahead of Your Holiday…
We have selected Ten Tips to Lose Weight Ahead of Your Holiday…below from the vast armoury of tips and tools we share with our weight loss clients that visit our clinic in Spain to complete the Gastric Mind Band treatment. Each involves just making small changes, you obviously don’t need to adopt them all, but a couple should set you on the right track for success. You can read more in our book Cruise Yourself Slim, whilst written for cruisers, everything can be used regardless of the type of holiday you are taking, read more on the dedicated web site Cruise Slim.
GMB’s Top 10 Holiday Weight Loss Tips
#1 – Top 10 Holiday Weight Loss Tips number one. Start using a smaller plate for your meals – by human nature we tend to work with whatever space we have available, so it stands to reason that we will put more food on a larger plate (and then be tempted to eat it, of course!) Did you know… countless research confirms that the majority of overweight people, at least un-consciously, stop eating only when the plate is empty, nothing to do with the feeling of fullness or the level of hunger!
#2 – Swap your cutlery into the opposite hands when you’re eating – this will help you to slow down and be much more mindful of the food especially the amount you’re consuming, sure some may go on the floor, but maybe that’s better than in your mouth! Another technique, its maybe a little naughty, that Martin uses, is to play a game with everyone at the table, but of course no one knows except him. His game dictates that the winner at the table today will be the person who finishes eating LAST; I often have to kick him under the table as it can get embarrassing! Did you know that slim people, when in a Chinese or Japanese restaurant, regardless of their abilities usually eat with Chop Sticks, overweight people normally ask for a spoon or fork, if they are not already on the table, they like to eat as fast as possible, forget the taste.
#3 – Make a point of enjoying the whole eating experience – turn it into an occasion, declare it a banquet, even if it is only beans on toast. Rather than just a race to get to the end as quickly as possible, lay the table, take your time, savour every moment! Did you know that the psychological aspects of eating are as important to you as the physical ones, make it into an event and you will quickly notice that you feel satisfied eating less food than previously. So no eating in front of the TV, or when standing up, and no snacking in between meals, wait for the banquet…
#4 – Chew your food thoroughly – put down your cutlery in between mouthfuls and wait until you’ve swallowed your current mouthful before picking up your cutlery to take the next bite. This gives your taste buds a chance to actually register exactly what you’re eating. Many cruise lines and hotel chains have famous, award-winning chefs designing their menus, so you should get into the habit of really lingering over your food, so can fully appreciate all the tasty things on offer. Did you know…that saliva plays a vital role in the breaking down of food, some research even states that fast eating is a major factor in obesity, our own research based around past clients confirms that in excess of 85% of overweight people are classed as fast eaters, that’s too big to be a coincidence!
#5 – If you normally clear your plate at every meal, start making an effort to leave some food – stop eating when you’re feeling lightly satisfied, rather than completely full! Did you know that research confirms that the majority of overweight people ‘save the best till last’. If you watch slim people eat, you will notice that generally they tend to eat the food on the plate in equal amounts throughout the meal. Overweight people save whatever is their favourite, let’s say its fillet steak, until the end, almost like its their reward for clearing their plate, they have to carry on, they have to hoover their way through every last morsel to get the prize!
#6 – Make a point of only eating at times when you’re physically hungry – resist the temptation to reach for food just because it’s there in front of you! You will be faced with virtually unlimited food temptations whilst on holiday, so if you’ve practised building up your resistance beforehand, you’re less likely to succumb! Did you know the majority of overweight people when asked confirm that they eat when they are, Tired, Sad, Lonely, Depressed, Bored, Stressed, or to reward themselves, seldom do they mention the word hunger!
#7 – If you’re a regular drinker, it’s a good idea to ease off the alcohol in the run up to a holiday – especially if you’ve signed up for the fully-inclusive “drinks package”, when you will have chance to more than make up for your period of abstinence! You can potentially save yourself hundreds of calories, which will maybe help you to shift a couple of pounds over a few weeks.
#8 – Get into the habit of having at least one glass of water before you eat – it is proven to take the edge off your appetite. It’s much easier to be in control of the quantity of food you eat if you’re not absolutely ravenously hungry before you start. Did you know that overweight people often misinterpret, confuse the sensation of thirst with that of hunger, feeling hungry is one of the first sensations experienced by people who are dehydrated.
#9 – If you live somewhere with a staircase, make good use – even if you work in a building that has several floors, make a concerted effort to go up and down the stairs as often as possible and avoid using lifts whenever you can in the weeks preceding your cruise. Climbing stairs is an excellent activity: it’s great for burning calories, as well as helping to build stamina and improve cardio-respiratory fitness, which in turn can help reduce the risk of illnesses such as heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. Did you know that the enjoyment you experience from eating is amplified after even brief exercise, maybe a walk up two flights of stairs before eating could change a sandwich into a banquet, at least in your mind.
#10 – Use a little psychology and visualisation to help you – find a couple of minutes each day, maybe when you wake in the morning or just before you go to sleep at night to visualise yourself, walking on the aircraft, a couple of pounds lighter than normal, feeling like a million dollars, full of confidence, visualise how others will see you, try to experience in your mind your elevated level of energy. Did you know that in sports psychology one of the most powerful tools used is getting the athlete to ‘see the end before the beginning’; we call it ‘Going Back to The Future’ it works… We hope you enjoyed reading our Top 10 Holiday Weight Loss Tips.
You can read more holiday weight loss tips in the best selling book Cruise Yourself Slim, and read additional information about Martin and Marion here
Should you wish to contact us for details about availability at the clinic or indeed if you have any additional questions feel free to drop us an email.
