Last week, I went in to detail about the possible implications of cutting loose at the weekend (See Weekend Spoiler) after training and eating well Monday to Friday and how even after doing well for 4 or 5 days you can undo it all and end up with a calorie surplus at the end of the week.
So here is the follow up, on how the try to reduce the effect of a night out.
There are two fundamental issues as a result of a night out.
1. Calorie spike on the night in question
2. The following day making bad food choices i.e breakfast rolls, yazoos, pizza etc etc
In an ideal world you will all give up booze and just squat, and do your stretches on Saturday nights instead of boozing, BUT, in case it is totally unavoidable…….
Lets look at each point and how we can tackle it.
1. Calorie spike on a night out ( booze/food etc)
You need to run a big enough calorie deficit before you head out. So Meal 1 and Meal two in the day would be very calorie low i.e protein source and greens with little or no carbs. e.g chicken breast and spinach, turkey and peppers, tune and sweet corn etc etc. and have something like that for meal one and meal two in your day.
Additional Points :
i) Avoid cider and beer. These are highest in carbs, sugars and calories. Ideally gin/vodka and tonic or sparkling water. For the beer drinkers out there, Heineken have a calorie free and lower alcohol option now. Its actually decent. Two of them and a couple of gin and tonics is normally my option.
ii) Drink a pint of water for every two drinks- this is the best tip i can give when it comes to drinking booze. Be a water nazi. I promise it will make a big difference on the night ( you drink less booze and don’t get drunk) and the next day ( less hangover, less bad food choices) .
iii) Do not get that kebab/chippers !!! just get in the taxi and get home. This is the worst calorie waste. You will be asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow after a night out, so just get home and eat the net day.
2. The Next Day
Have your meals planned the next day. Don’t head off to the centra for your food the next day. Have food ready to go as soon as you wake. If this is egg and rashers, fine. Turkey rashers would be better, but still standard rashers will do here. Have your lunch and dinner planned too and make it something tasty enough e.g, steak and sweet potato wedges and some roasted veg. But do not let yourself get hungry with nothing decent to eat in the house, or you will make bad choices. Try to get some exercise done, anything will do, just burn off those excess calories.
Like always with Nutrition, prep is key.
Please give the above ago.
Any questions just ask.