PBK Christmas survival Part 2:
Christmas is a time of celebration, socialising, and families, generally brightening up the darkest winter days. It is a time of food, drinks and little exercise, which is not conducive to riding quickly.
PBK have put together a four part survival guide to help you through this period, allowing you to enjoy the festivities without the headache of a fatter and slower you on January the first.
Part 2 Dinner parties:
Socialising is a huge part of the Christmas celebration – meals out, parties with nibbles all lead to the chance of over-eating and putting on the Christmas bulge. As with Part 1, with some simple forward-thinking, moderation and self-control you can strike the perfect balance of enjoying all the delights of Christmas without piling on the kilograms.
A common mistake that many people make when they know that they are going to be tackling a calorie loaded meal is to starve themselves. Technically this does make sense, by limiting your calorie intake prior to the meal you should eat less calories in total. But so often the reality is somewhat different. Ravenous at the dinner table we pig out and end up over eating. By simply having a light snack a couple of hours prior to the meal, something which is healthy and will take a long time to digest (a fat or protein) you will not be starving at the dinner table, being more able to control your portion size.
As we know from part 1 certain foods, normally the ones we like best, are loaded with calories. So when out to dinner try to steer away from them. As with the majority of restaurants and friends, portion sizes are too big, large plates of food looking like an abundance of wealth. Eat slowly; take your time to enjoy your food, again filling up on vegetables and if there are high-calorie foods on your plate, eat sparingly. Do not be afraid to leave food – know when you are full, rather than bloated!
Prior to eating out you can also make sure that your menu selection is the best for your riding goals of 2013. Again steer away from the calorie-rich meats, ones full of animal fats, ordering the lighter option as turkey (2 slices of turkey and skin is around 250 calories). Change roast potatoes for boiled ones, and even if you do not like them go for the sprouts, they are packed full of nutrients which will keep you healthy even with the Christmas excess.
Finally aim for 2 courses rather than 3. Sure this may seem like a cop out but you will find that a two course meal will see you leaving the table full, rather than bloated. Whilst at the same time it will mean that you can treat yourself to either a dessert or slightly less waistline-focused starter.
Another of the numerous social gatherings which take place over the Christmas period is the drinks and nibbles evening. These are again a minefield of calories for those looking to stay lean and trim for their New Year’s training. Canapés, Volovants, picks and nibbles again mean that it is easy to get into a routine of pushing food into your mouth as it is offered and overeat. People do not get offended if you say “no” to food. If someone is doing the rounds with a food which you know is calorie rich then politely refuse, aiming for the lower calorie options. As with the Christmas dinner party mentioned above, if you eat prior to the night out then you will be less inclined to over eat, loading up on bad calories, sticking to your 2013 plans.
Christmas is for celebrating, but there is no need to pig out. By thinking before you eat you can enjoy all which is on offer without derailing your training plans for 2013. There is no need to make your life harder than it has to be, with those Christmas kilos taking many hours of riding to shed; by simple self-control and moderation you can focus on getting faster in January, rather than getting back to the level you had prior to Christmas.
