Wouldn’t it be great if we could stay “Fit and Fabulous” 365 days a year even though we’ll never see the inside of a gym, pub crawl every fortnight and eat whatever we want?

It always pays to dream but that is one fantasy that will never become a reality! Sorry to burst your bubble.

If you want to eat what you want, you absolutely MUST put in the time for physical activity so you can burn the excess calories and remain healthy.

Not many people are blessed with great genetics, and those who are still need to invest time to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Remember, SKINNY doesn’t necessarily equal HEALTHY.

HERE ARE A 3 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR LIFESTYLE AND EAT WHAT YOU WANT:

1. Stay Active.

Set aside one to two hours per day, four days a week for exercise. By exercise, I don’t mean a walk in the park!

Find an activity that is challenging enough to raise your heart rate and get a serious sweat going. The ideal physical activity should focus on strength and conditioning.
Although working out in a gym is the best option, you could also do other activities such as running, tennis, or swimming. Just be sure to put in the work and give the activity a measure of difficulty. Remember, no walks in the park allowed!
You can run up a few hills, play a few sets of fast paced competitive tennis, or time your laps in the pool with the idea of improving each time.
 

2. Follow the 80/20 Rule.

The hardest part in maintaining a health and fitness program is the dreaded four letter word: D-I-E-T.

But a diet does not have to be one that deprives you of taste, flavour and satisfaction. People have this notion that eating healthy means eating bland food. You should know how to season and prepare food to make it healthy and tasty.

Try this.
Instead of grilling which dries out food, try stewing or braising meats. When preparing beef stew use carrots, onions and celery as your flavour base and red wine as your liquid; season only with salt and pepper. Stew for three hours and store in the refrigerator overnight. The following day, scoop out all the fat that has rendered. Serve with spinach or wild rice.
You can have the healthy beef stew 80% of the time. Once in awhile, feel free to indulge in your favourite meal. Getting 20% of your calories from “diet-busting” foods will not set you back.

3. Get Enough Sleep.

There’s nothing wrong with letting your hair down at your local on a Saturday night. But make sure you get a decent amount of sleep the rest of the week.

Sleep has so many health benefits. Sleep deprivation can have negative repercussions on your blood pressure, cognition, disposition and overall functionality. It can affect your performance in several aspects of your daily routine and all in all you just end up feeling behind the eight ball.
So yes it CAN be done.

Keeping a balanced lifestyle is the key to having your cake.

Everything in moderation; a good routine on the eating and fitness scales and you won’t have to sacrifice too much of the indulgent stuff.