Although I would never really recommend anyone drinking alcohol, many of you are like myself and do enjoy a social drink every now and then. Below are some tips you should follow or keep in mind when you are out enjoying a drink.
1. Calories matter! If you are planning to go drinking on a night out and your goal is to lose or maintain weight it can be very deceiving the amount of drinks you can have before you’ve stacked on a whole lot of empty calories. A general rule is to not go over 4 standard drinks which depending on the beverage can take up to “45 minutes” of intense work to burn off.
2. Always try to eat something light before you do plan on consuming alcohol. This not only acts like a filter as such but it may just fill you up that little bit quicker as opposed to consuming more drinks if you hadn’t had eaten. Often we tend to make poor food choices late at night after consuming alcohol. It may be an idea to plan ahead and have some healthier snacks ready to go.
3. No hangover, No train!
If you are still feeling a little bit queezy the morning after it’s not the best idea to go and exercise as you normally would instead if you’re able to go for a 10-30 minute walk that is 9 times out of 10 guaranteed to assist you in feeling better and getting oxygen and blood circulating around your body a lot more freely. Alcohol will often lead to dehydration depending on how much you have had to drink. You should keep your hydration level in mind before you go and work out too hard.
4. Don’t eat less during the day. With the idea of saving your calories for alcohol!! You will be far worse off. Instead try and eat a well balanced diet on the day you are planning on drinking. Make sure you include lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.
5. Like anything moderation is the key. It is important to enjoy yourself and have a good time with family and friends. If you enjoy a drink, go for it, but try not to go overboard. If you have too many it is not the end of the world, just get your health back on track the following day and minimise the damage 🙂