Three Steps to a Feel Good Beach Body

Oh hey there! Firstly, let me start by saying that there is nothing like docking in Miami after an all you can eat cruise and chilling out on a sunbed next to someone with 8 abs. WOWEE. That’s a wakeup call if ever I got one. Luckily, my intake of 6784 slices of pizza was balanced out by the fact that my flight provider thought it was perfectly ok to serve me one tiny meal, a yoghurt and a granola bar on my 9 hour flight home. Anyway, since so many of you left me lovely comments on my Instagram pics, I thought I’d share with you my holiday feel good plan that I tend to put in motion around 4/5 weeks before going away. It’s all about trying to wedge in a few more nutritious foods into my daily diet, taking in more water and moving more. It’s not rocket science but it’s also easier said than done. That being said, it’s not about punishing yourself for that jar spoonful of Nutella you ate. While I try and go to the gym regularly all year round, I often increase my sessions if I have a holiday on the horizon. If you are going away in the next few weeks and haven’t exactly been good in the diet department, I’ve put together a few tips to help you feel good in the nick of time. So while a healthy lifestyle obviously hugely benefits your looks and wellness, it can also be a good idea to turn to specific exercise (I always find hill sprints/weights help) or even some feel good beauty treatments if you are looking for more urgent, last-minute improvements. There’s nothing like a pre-holiday pamper sesh to help you feel good. Here’s what my pre-holiday regime looks like. *insert bicep emoji*

The Right Eating Habits

No YOU ate pizza last night. It’s OK. It’s not too late. Tomorrow is a new day. This is what I say to myself most weekends. Eating right is actually something I find hard and so even five weeks of eating clean is a challenge (five days is sometimes a stretch). I tend to turn to vitamin and protein rich diets rather than the fad diets that some people attempt and while there are many available diets for that timeframe, it helps to bear in mind what kinds of food will help you lose weight without abandoning precious nutrients. So protein and omega-3 rich foods such as salmon and avocado should help you bulk up your salads to feel full and keep taste in the picture. Calcium can be provided by good doses of greek yogurt while scrambled eggs bring the right doses of protein. If you are feeling hungry during the day, raw nuts and protein bowls will help you feel full and keep unhealthy fats out of the picture. I tend to eat less junk food and more homemade meals. I’ve recently discovered how to make an incredible veggie curry so I’ll post the recipe for you in a future post. I tried to give up sugar after reading that Elle Mcpherson does this 5 weeks before a photoshoot but it turns out sugar is in everything and I lasted a grand total of 5 hours. Note to self: I am not and never will be Elle McPherson. *sad face*

Keeping Active

I go to the gym three times a week usually and try to fit in 2 extra sessions of something else on the run up to my trip (pilates is always a nice one to include), but if you are looking for ways to up your exercise game look outdoors to find the inspiration. Cycling can be an intensive yet undemanding activity even for complete beginners. Running in the local park is – if possible – even easier, given that you will only need a pair of trainers and running clothes. I always take my dog running with me. I sometimes kick start my pre-holiday fitness regime with a bootcamp. I just love everything about them. Whatever your choice of sport is, just make sure it is regular enough – get those workouts in at least 3 times a week over a month before you hop on a plane will benefit your legs and abs hugely. If in doubt, just move more. Download an App and aim to double the amount of steps that you take on a daily basis. Voila. Also, take your trainers away with you as you never know when you may have the urge to workout on your travels. My cruise ship had a running track on the top deck but I won’t pretend I actually used it because if you give me a choice between Margheritas or deck or sprints, Margheritas will always win.

Beauty Treatments

If it all fails. Get a spray tan. Oh how I love a pre-holiday beauty sesh. According to my App, my most visited place is the beauticians and that is certainly true in the weeks before my holiday. I tend to get manicures, pedicures, LVL lash lifts, eyebrow waxes and of course a spray tan. I’m so envious of boys that just get a hair cut and hop on a plane. *sobs* I’ve been looking into lots of anti-aging products lately as well as treatments to get rid of stretch marks as I feel they are more visible in the sun. Among the most popular  non surgical options right now is Cellfina and Lypolysis, which reduces cellulite but requires you to wear compression garments for the two weeks after the treatment. Likewise, Velashape is a rising option for those wishing to get rid of cellulite, Coolsculpting is also innovative and non-invasive, helping destroy fat deposits in selected are as by freezing them. I tried Cryotherapy a few months ago and the results were quite impressive. If you have no major skin issues and you just want to feel firmer, a few massages will help you to feel a bit tighter. I always like to opt for a chemical peel a few weeks before I go away so my skin is beach ready. Remember if you make the leap from facials to peels try to plan in advance and always take into account the necessary downtime – you will hardly be allowed direct sunlight exposure a couple days after a chemical peel.

How do you get holiday ready? FYI This post was written to tell you the little things that I do before a holiday but if you don’t get holiday ready that’s fine too, you don’t have to lose weight or tone up to feel good in a bikini. There’s way too much pressure to look good in a bikini these days but if you feel good it doesn’t matter what shape or size you are.

*This post was written in collaboration with Ale Brunelli  but as usual all opinions are my own.