4 healthy habits to get back on track after the summer

The summer holidays are over and all I hear from everybody is how they need to get “back on track” with their diet, their health or their training. That’s quite normal, this time of year. During the summer we tend to loosen up a bit, we have delicious icecream and those bright summer nights are like an invitation to sit outside and drink cold rosé while having a good time with friends or family. Maybe we don’t move as much as we used to because we travel to countries with temperatures way higher than what we’re accustomed to so we become all realxed and maybe even a bit lazy.

Earlier this summer I read an interview with a very rigid doctor who mentioned how damaging it could be to our health if we stopped working out for just three weeks during our summer holidays. He himself would usually run 1-2 marathons per week and maybe 3 marathons per week during the holiday. I doubt that he inspired many people wth that statement! On this blog, we are somewhat more laid back when it comes to hard regimes whether they’re diet or exercise related (in case you were wondering).

I actually think that it’s beneficial that your holiday doesn’t look like your everyday life. I think that can have a very relaxing effect. Obviously, none of us like to have pants that no longer fit but unless we took in alcohol and sugar intravenously all summer long, we probably only gained a few kilos and some of it is definitely water weight.

WHEN MY PANTS ARE SUDDENLY TOO TIGHT
My biggest challenge weight wise is rarely during the holiday. On the opposite, actually. I tend to treat myself much better when I’m on holiday. I sleep more and my meals are more regular because I eat all of them with my family. I’m not immune to weight gain though. My weight just tends to go up when I stressed out or when I work too much. To me that’s a very bad cocktail.

I never go on a diet and I never start to count calories, carbs or macros. Instead I look over the things I do every day and adjust a little bit. That may sound much less sexy than a tough lose 5 kilos in 2 weeks regime but this is what works best for me.

4 HEALHTY HABITS THAT WORK FOR ME

• I aim for eating only three times per day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. And I minimize snacking in between meals. This means that I have to focus on eating enough rather than eating less. I have a feeling that makes a big difference psycologically.

• I pay attention to all my “liquid calories”. On normal days I can easily drink 2-3 coffees with heavy cream or coconut oil meaning that I never get really hungry. Now I drink my coffee black and spare my appetite to the nice meal I’m having later.

• I try to sleep at least 8 hours per night.

• I also start focusing on moving more. I find my Fitbit and strap it on my wrist and start aiming for 10.000 steps per day. Not to burn calories but because I know it works wonders for my mood.

How about you? Do you do things differently after the summer? Please share your tips and experiences!