It’s that time again, where in the heart of the pub, rugby enthusiasts come together, their spirits soaring as they watch the Rugby World Cup. The roar of the crowd, the thrill of every tackle, and the joy of victory or defeat shared over a pint.
Over the next few weeks, visits to the pub and pints with friends may be far more frequent than usual. We can hardly blame you. It’s a great time to gather in camaraderie with friends and like-minded fans. However, if you are on the fence about getting involved or are apprehensive about how you can juggle certain aspects of your social life with your nutrition goals, we’ve listed a few simple tips to try out this pub season.
We certainly aren’t here to tell you to turn down all your social invitations just for the sake of your goals – it just takes a little more planning.
1. Be mindful of your calorie intake during the rest of the week
To keep this really simple – if you know you are going to a burger at the pub this Friday, save yourself some calories for it. This can be achieved by having generally smaller portions throughout the day than you would usually. We undoubtedly don’t mean starve yourself all week. This is not advisable and you are likely to overeat upon arrival. However, to lose fat you need to be in a consistent calorie deficit throughout the week. Spread the deficit across the rest of the days and you might not even notice the difference!
2. Liquid calories
Alcohol is often described as ‘empty calories’. This is because it is calorie-dense and nutrient-poor. Plus it is easy to consume in large amounts over a short period of time. Not to mention, as you begin to feel a little tipsy, your drunk alter-ego might have a little less willpower than you.
In these situations, a helpful thing to consider is to stick to lower-calorie soft drinks, with a few alcoholic beverages if desired. A beer can total up to 220 calories, whereas a slimline gin and tonic amounts to only 70 calories. If you really want the beer, just have one beer. It’s all about prioritising what is most important and where you want your calorie intake to come from. A great way of slowing down your alcohol intake is by taking a glass of water in between each alcoholic beverage.
If these instances are becoming more frequent, we’ve also put together some tips for how to make healthier choices when it comes to alcohol. This can be found here.
3. Avoid mindless snacking
Crisps, nuts and other pub snacks are the perfect accompaniment to a pint but are very easy to eat in excess. This is especially true if you are watching a match. Whilst a snack or two here and there is fine within reason, in order to avoid exceeding your intake over a longer period, ensure you are avoiding mindless snacking where possible.
Try to ensure that you consume satiating and balanced meals throughout the day, ahead of heading to the pub. Moreover, make sure that the meals you have are varied in terms of ingredients and also ones you enjoy. This is so that as well as feeling full or satiated, you also feel satisfied and content. If you deprive yourself of consuming meals that you find pleasurable to eat, you are more likely to pick outside of this even though you are full. This is often because you still do not feel satisfied.
4. Don’t give yourself a hard time
Taking one night off at the pub won’t jeopardise your progress. It can also help to prioritise social interaction for a balanced and healthy lifestyle. In fact, if carried out occasionally, it can be part of a sustainable journey toward your goals. Therefore reinforcing the importance of enjoying life while working towards them.
Much like one salad won’t make you ‘healthy’, a few drinks one evening won’t derail you. You don’t need to turn down social occasions every time to hit your goals. It’s all about prioritising and being mindful.
5. Add a Calorie Buffer
If you know you’re going to have a few extra drinks or snacks on top of your Fresh Fitness Food meals, you can now add a calorie buffer. This means we will reduce the food we send you by your chosen amount so that you can eat and drink outside of FFF without going over your goals. You can add and adjust this on your account both on your desktop and on the Fresh Fitness Food App. Alternatively, book a call with one of our nutritionists who can guide you on the amount to choose.
Fresh Fitness Food provides personalised meal plans delivered straight to your door. We ensure not only that you have the nutrients you need to manage your stress levels, but also that you have the time usually spent shopping, cooking and washing up, to engage in your favourite stress-reducing activity. To discuss which nutrition plan is right for you, book a call with our in-house nutrition team here.
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