Navy News :: Health & Fitness

Tips to lose the muffin tops

Eat drink and be merry. So they say, but overeating and drinking over the Christmas and New Year period can be bittersweet.

If you have returned to work and found your uniform noticeably tighter you may have put on a few unwanted kilos.
The serious issue is that if we continue this lifestyle behaviour, we may end up a stone (6kg) heavier by Christmas this year and very “un-merry”.

Here are a few tips to take off those bad boys clinging to your belly – you know, the muffin tops:

Clear out food offenders. For example, wrap unopened boxes of chocolates and stash them away for someone special on Valentine’s Day.
Avoid having two cooked meals a day. Have a salad sandwich or homemade soup and roll for lunch, and a small portion of meat and lots of vegetables in the evening.
Throw out all sugary soft drink in the house, or give it away. Drink water, natural mineral or soda water. Add a slice of lemon or lime for taste if desired.
Limit your alcohol intake. Two to three beers/wines a night is the equivalent of two pieces of buttered toast in energy. Reduce to one glass of wine or champagne with dinner.
Use it and lose it. Walk up the stairs. Join the kids on the play equipment – use the monkey bars for a few chin-ups while you’re there. You will notice that the body part you use will get more toned.
Go walking a few times a week with a friend. It will motivate you and you will be less likely to miss it if you know you are expected to show.
Don’t skip meals to try to get the weight off quickly as you may eat more kilojoules in the next meal than if you had eaten two sensible meals.