Beer And BBQ To Mulled Wine And Mince Pies
I had a conversation with my weight watcher friend recently that I always thought winter was the hardest time of year to lose weight or at least stay on track.
However, here we are at the end of summer (hang on while I weep!) and I feel like I’m coming to the end of a huge amount of time where it’s been tricky to stay on course with healthy eating. We may talk about getting that summer body or getting in shape for a certain holiday but the reality is, the nice warm weather kicks in and the days are long. And you know what that means? BBQs and Beer!
I try to follow my own advice and keep the carbs down. I also often prepare chicken and veg skewers instead of having a huge burger. But as I always say, I’m only human and sometimes that pack of burgers in the fridge is the easiest option. Put the food to one side and I have to admit, we’re a sucker for an afternoon beer in the sunshine. It would be rude not to, surely?
So maybe the summer months isn’t the best time to start your health kick. Yet here I am looking up Halloween party food ideas on Pinterest and watching Nutella Christmas cake making videos on Facebook. All the while wondering how soon is acceptable to crack open the mulled wine?
Ok. So the answer is January. Yep, health kicks should start in January. But hang on… I would have just enjoyed weeks of sampling luxury mince pies from different supermarkets and testing whether they go best with mulled wine or mulled cider. We’d have all of the Christmas chocolates still hanging around and the start of a health kick would feel more like having the festive cheer kicked out of me. Too depressing and would feel like punishment.
Spring it is then. Just in time to get your summer body. Unless of course you’re partial to an Easter egg or three. Or maybe even an Easter nest!
Reality check. The best time to start your health kick is today. No excuses. It’s too easy to say I’ll start on Monday or I’ll start in January. Don’t look at it as a short term fix or crash diet. This is the start of your healthy journey and to stick at it you will raise your glass to BBQ summers and dance your way through Christmas with a mince pie and mulled wine in your hand. It’s all about moderation and not about cutting out. If you put off starting until you haven’t got that summer BBQ invite, birthday meal out or festive celebrations, you’ll never start.
Learn new healthy habits and you’ll learn how to find balance along the way. Now, pass me that mulled wine, ha!
