The 10 commandments to escape from summer weight gain

The Dreaded Summer Weight Gain Pain

It’s no secret summer holidays have damaging effects on your silhouette. Long dinners, alcohol abuse, aperitivi… In addition to your excesses, your body only burns half the amount of calories, as your physical activity is limited to sun-bed inertia and some swings at the beach club.

God may forgive all your sins, but LeSalon can prevent you from committing them. Let’s pray and follow our 10 slimming commandments:

1. Thou shalt drink a lot of water

Drinking a lot of water will give you the sensation of being full, and therefore limit your appetite. Follow LeSalon‘s water diet:

• Prefer cold to hot water (tea, coffee): it takes your body energy, hence calories, to warm it up to body temperature
• Drink a large glass of cold water before every meal to satiate your hunger
• Always carry a bottle of water with you to drink throughout the day and whenever you are tempted by a snack

2. Thou shalt choose your summer snacks wisely

Drawn by the churros stand in Spain? Calorie equivalent of a Big Mac, doughnuts and other deep fried delis are your worst enemies, run away from them!

Craving for a creamy gelato on the Italian coast? Ask your ice-cream maker for a “frappé“: a scoop of your favourite flavour mixed with some milk = almost guiltless treat.

Ultimately, fruit sorbet is the best “pleasure vs. figure” compromise. 2 scoops a day are tolerated. For extra lightness, blend with some sparkling water and get a punchy smoothie.

3. Thou shalt honour ice cubes in your drinks

Enjoying a Mojito by the pool? Rosé wine flowing at dinner? No willingness to refuse another drink? Do damage control with a lot of ice cubes: more volume + more water = less calories from alcohol.

4. Thou shalt restrain yourself on appetisers

Pre-dinner aperitifs are tricky: you are hungry and these delicious cocktail snacks are indecently flirting with you. Resist! A full meal is waiting for you. Remember you are no starving child and allow yourself some bites but don’t eat the whole peanut jar off. Feeling so hungry you could faint? Grab a fruit and learn patience.

5. Thou shalt embrace barbecues

You think summer barbecues are figure killers. Wrong! Barbecue is actually a lean way to cook, as you don’t need to add any additional fat to keep the juiciness of your food. You only need to stick to LeSalon‘s slenderness rules:

• Trade your fatty sausages for lean meat. Beef tenderloin, chicken and duck breast, white fish or shellfish are your friends on the ember.
• Welcome veggies on your skewers: Mediterranean veggies such as peppers, eggplant, zucchini and onions are amazing on the grill!
• Twist your marinades with savoury fresh herbs and spices instead of sugary sauces. Rosemary, mint, marjoram, coriander, but also garlic, curry, chilli, get creative! Not only is it healthier, it is also tastier as it raises the taste instead of overwhelming it.

6. Thou shalt eat slowly and sparingly

Large picnic tables with great deal of dishes are often very tempting. And there you go, throwing yourself onto every serving platter. Wanna get a taste of everything? Get it, but watch out for quantities.

LeSalon‘s tip is to eat the equivalent of one large plate, well balanced between a half of veggies, one-quarter of proteins and one-quarter of carbs. Eat slowly: have small bites, chew thoroughly, and take time to enjoy. It takes your body 30 minutes of mastication to feel sated: use that time. Feel how full you already are?

7. Thou shalt revise your salad dressings

Salads are light… Unless you soak them with oily dressings. Cut the your traditional vinaigrette’s required amount of oil by 3 and trade for water or yogurt. At the restaurant, always order the dressing aside and add vinegar for extra moistness.

8. Thou shalt alternate raw and cooked food

Raw veggies and fruits… You think you can eat them infinitely, but it comes with a price: bloated stomach and water retention. Unless you want to end up with a pregnant belly on your holiday pics, alternate raw and cooked veggies/fruits. It will smooth your digestion out and avoid sugar fermentation in your stomach. Don’t feel like eating warm food? LeSalon recommends you to precook your veggies and turn them into a crisp summer salad.

9. Thou shalt compensate after an excess

Had a rich 5-course dinner? Don’t panic, tomorrow is another day. Make amends for your slip-up by offering your stomach a day off. A “no sugar, no fat” 24 hour diet will help your body balance these extra calories out.

10. Thou shalt enjoy yourself

Let’s be honest, your motivation has limits and you will sin. But it is also part of the game: summer holidays are meant to relax and go easy on yourself. Don’t get too paranoid with food, don’t think about it constantly, and you’ll see: out of mind, out of crave!

And there you go… LeSalon just prevented you from burning in post-summer obesity hell. Amen.

P.S Make sure while you’re doing all this to continue to treat yourself. This doesn’t have to be through food and drinks, but also just having a little ‘me-time’. Why not book a pamper treatment with one of our professional mobile beauty therapists?