Body Beautiful

  Just because summer’s over and the weather’s cooling right down for winter, don’t think you can sit on your flabby butt, reach for the ready-made comfort food and disguise your ever-expanding body under big rapper-style hoodies and baggy jeans that hang below the crotch. With all those champagne-guzzling, mince pie-scoffing Christmas parties on the horizon – probably packed with beautiful, slim single women in cropped outfits - you’ll want to look your buffed best. In fact, there’s absolutely no excuse to pack on the pounds now that you’re not ripping off your t-shirt and hitting the beach on a daily basis. According to scientific research, the body’s metabolism actually speeds up during cold weather – meaning the only reason you’re partial to piling on weight in winter is your own greediness/laziness. If that doesn’t make you feel bad, then nothing will. Read on and discover how to maintain your surfer-dude body during the harsh winter months that lie ahead. Remember, if you strike lucky you’ll have to take your clothes off eventually – and no women like a wheezing, heaving cookie monster on top of them.


Food

  Bianca Monley, from Eat Fit Food – an Australian-based company that helped transform actor Brandon Routh from geek to god for his role in Superman Returns – says: “It is vital that you have a nourishing diet and stay away from the typical winter comfort food”. Granted, you’re hardly going to feel like a handful of aduki beans when it’s snowing outside, but there are more delicious alternatives than the dried-out chick food recommended by most know-it-alls. According to the lovely, loose-tongued expert, vegetables such as baby carrots, leeks, pumpkin, garlic, Asian greens, beetroot, brocolli and silverbeet are all in season over the coming months. Not only are they packed with energy-boosting, fat-busting minerals and vitamins, but they’re great as a meal accompaniment rather than a boring-ass snack by themselves. Fruit-wise, you could do worse than to pick up a bag of Pink Lady apples when you’re next at the grocery store; snack on these instead of your usual Snicker-and-Cheetos combo, and you’re guaranteed to keep those love handles at bay. Avocados, oranges, lemons and mandarins are also available in the shops at winter, and taste absolutely great.

  For breakfast, why not try something like scrambled free-range eggs - made from skimmed milk, of course - or a wholesome bowl of porridge sprinkled with nuts and laced with natural honey? A good breakfast will keep hunger at bay for a good few hours, and should be washed down with a glass of freshly squeezed grapefruit or cranberry juice rather than your usual caffeine fix. Replace your fast-food lunch with a low-fat dish such as sesame-crusted chicken breast and salad, followed by a piece of fruit. Finish off the day with a dish such as poached salmon fillet served with egg noodles and spinach. It’s better for your body to have your biggest meal at lunch, and smaller, nutritious meals late at night. Hit the sack and you’ll be surprised at how satisfied you feel.


Drink

  Ensuring that you’re receiving the right kind of fluids is as essential as controlling your food intake when staying slim and trim post-summer. Firstly, make sure that you’re always hydrated. Aim to drink at least eight large glasses of water a day; not only will water keep you hydrated and full, but it will flush out the toxins in your body and improve the clarity of your skin. Secondly, make sure that you don’t confuse hunger with thirst as they can often feel like the same thing. Most of the winter months are spent indoors in temperature-controlled environments, and heating can cause fatigue, which will encourage you to snack. Before you do, however, drink a glass of water and wait twenty minutes. If you’re still hungry, then go ahead and eat something sensible. Do the same just before you go to a restaurant or a party; invariably, you’ll find you don’t need all those hour d’ouvres you cram unmercifully down your throat.

  Although we automatically assume that drinking is better than eating, this isn’t always the case. Admittedly, Nicole Richie bases her entire diet regime around one daily cup of coffee, but this isn’t the healthy way to stay in shape. Generally, drinking a creamy, calorie-crammed coffee from Starbucks is much worse than snacking on a small bag of fat-free crisps; similarly, downing three bottles of beer is worse than eating a meal balanced with carbohydrates. If you like something hot to start the day with, then opt for green tea or a black coffee. Green tea is recommended on most diets because it breaks down fat, so enjoy hot drinks such as these rather than high fat-content ones that you buy. Get in the habit of making drinks yourself, then you can control what goes in them.

  If you can’t live without alcohol (and let’s face it, other than those in recovery, who can?), then opt for something a little less bloating than beer, such as vodka with a diet mixer. Those comfortable with their masculinity may also try a glass of red wine – but it’s understandable if you can’t bring yourself to order this in a burly biker’s bar. Chase down each alcoholic drink you have with a glass of water or a soda to help dilute the calories. It’s tough not to drink near Christmas, but think about how much cash you’ll have saved without splurging it at bars and how much better you’ll be able to remember the whole occasion.


Exercise

  Just because there’s no beach to surf at or no sunkissed promenade to jog along, it doesn’t mean you can slob out and watch re-runs of Quantum Leap for the better part of a year. Shorter days actually mean that there’s less time to be physically active, which means you should make the best use of any spare time you do have. Although the dark, rainy skies may not be the best exercise motivator – and you may have to plan ahead, with regard to the warmer clothes you’ll need to wear - the time to get in shape for next summer is now, so pin a photo of Texan thespian Matthew McConaughey up on your fridge and tell yourself that’s how you’ll look come next year’s beach season. It’s no good waiting for the New Year to turn over a new leaf and make your resolutions - by then your body will have been punished by the calorific treats of both Halloween and Christmas, with Valentine’s Day edging closer.

  Start the day off with a hot session between the sheets; it’s a proven fact that sex burns up calories like they’re going out of fashion, and there’s no more fun or enjoyable way to go about it. Not only will you have had a workout before you even climb out of bed, but the exercise will have kickstarted your metabolism and anything you consume during the day is more likely to be burned up by the adrenaline still pumping through your body. Use the winter climate to make sex more romantic and intimate, too; light a roaring fire, dot candles around the room and wrap up with your loved one in a fur blanket.

  Continue your day by making the best possible use of your lunch hour. If your office is near a gym, then sneak in a quick 20-minute workout before your lunch. Allow 15 minutes for your lunch and 15 minutes travelling time. Not only will your body have zapped any spare calories floating about, but you’ll return to the workplace reenergised and ready to knuckle down. Who knows, your boss might even notice and give you that long-overdue raise. If your office isn’t close enough to a gym, then at least make sure you take a breath of fresh air and go for a brisk walk around the building.

  Finally, finish off your day with a third bout of exercise. Your metabolism slows down during the evening and your body finds it difficult to break down fat, so help it along by having a workout after dinner (leave it a good couple of hours, though). If your girlfriend/wife is feeling particularly obliging – and if your performance this morning was anything to write home about – then she may just treat you to another sex session. Tell her you want to ‘make love’ to her, and, along with the sight of your taut, toned body, she’ll be putty in your hands.

References
www.eatfitfood.com.au

About the author:

  Nick studied at Sussex University and graduated with a degree in English Literature and Media Studies. When he’s not writing – which isn’t often – he enjoys spending time with friends and family, watching movies, downloading music, eating out and travelling as much as he possibly can; Marbella, Miami, London and Phuket are his favourite places in the world.

  Nick has worked on a number of newspapers, magazines and websites – including Caché, Colures and AskMen.com - and specialises in popular culture, luxury and travel. He particularly enjoys writing about all that is beautiful in the world, including luxury hotels, trendy restaurants andthe latest gadgetry for the home. If it’s hip and gorgeous, Nick will have something to say about it.

  He is currently working on his first children’s book, which hasgenerated interest from a number of London-based publishers, and runs his own online magazine at www.gunpowder-magazine.com.