Christmas and alcohol often go hand-in-hand, which can be difficult when you’re watching your weight. 

When Christmas rolls around and you’re trying to lose weight, you’d be forgiven for keeping a close eye on your mince pie and pigs in blankets consumption, but don’t forget about the drinks.

Alcohol seems to be free flowing at Christmas, but it can really throw you off track as it’s easy to forget that alcohol is high in calories. But it is possible to have a merry Christmas that involves alcohol without piling on the pounds – here’s how.

• Stick to the NHS’s recommendation of 14 maximum units of alcohol a week and remember that 14 units is the max, not a target.
• Spread your drinking out over three or more days, and don’t binge drink.
• 14 units is roughly equivalent to 6 pints of average-strength (4%) beer.
• When drinking at home, make sure you measure out spirits, so you know how much you’re having. An eyeballed measure is always much, much more than you think it is. Especially when you’re a few drinks in.
• Try some lower-alcohol beers over regular strength ones. They’ll have less alcohol, but they tend to have fewer calories too.
• If you’re having a mixed drink, swap high calorie mixers for slimline alternatives. Have Diet Coke with your Jack Daniels instead of regular Coke and you’ll be saving potentially hundreds of calories.
• Stay hydrated by drinking enough water throughout the day, and don’t forget to continue this when you’re drinking. Alternate alcoholic drinks with water or a sugar-free soft drink to stay hydrated and cut down on calories from alcohol.
• If you’re a fan of cocktails, keep in mind that ones made with syrups, cream or milk will have more calories than juice-based ones.
• Savour your drink – sip it slowly to make it last and to make sure you’re really enjoying it.
• Remember that the calories in drinks soon add up. One pint may not seem like too many calories, but if you’re having several pints that’s hundreds of extra calories. Fine if you’re budgeting for it, but it can come as a shock if you’re not.
• What is it about a greasy kebab after you’ve been drinking that’s so appealing?! Bear in mind that the more you drink, the more you’re likely to pay a visit to your local kebab house. Kebabs can contain thousands of calories, so be wary.

Check out these drink examples:

• Gin and tonic: 120 kcals
• Gin and slimline tonic: 56 kcals
• Jack Daniels and Coke: 141 kcals
• Jack Daniels and Diet Coke: 78 kcals
• Heineken 5% (330ml): 138 kcals
• Heineken 0.0 (330ml): 69 kcals

You don’t have to go all out and drink loads at Christmas to make it a good one – just keep these tips in mind and you’ll still enjoy a great Christmas on your own terms.

Love Christmas? Us too, but it can be a tough time of year when you’re trying to lose weight. Here are our top 10 tips to enjoy Christmas without compromising your goals.

Break it down

The Christmas period will no doubt have more celebrations than your average month, which is part of what makes this time of year feel so difficult when it comes to losing weight. The trick? Don’t eat in excess too often.

Enjoy yourself when it’s an occasion to celebrate, but in between parties or gatherings do your best to maintain your usual healthy habits: eating well, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep.

Know your limits

You want to have a good time (and we want you to have a good time!) but be aware that the festive period can be an excuse to drink more than usual and to overindulge on rich food. Do this too much and you’ll end up feeling fatigued, heavy, and may suffer from indigestion or bloating. Try to take it slow, as you’ll feel so much better for it.

Be mindful

If you’ve got a party later, it’s worth adjusting your daily diet accordingly. We don’t mean skipping meals, as going into a celebration so hungry that you want to eat everything in sight just sets you up for disaster, but just be wary of what and how much you eat in the lead up. Eat meals that are high in protein to keep you feeling nicely satisfied and pay attention to your appetite.

Discreetly decline

It’s ok to say no. Yes, people do tend to take offence at this time of year (how many times do people say, ‘but it’s Christmas!’ as an excuse for justifying overindulgence?), but if you’ve been trying to lose weight and improve your health all year and you don’t want to start reversing your progress, just say no. No one can force you to eat anything you don’t want to.

Indulge in healthy luxuries

Luxuries don’t have to be unhealthy. Think about whether there are any healthier foods you enjoy but rarely eat during the year – clementines, a nice bit of fish, turkey? Make the most of them while they’re around.

Avoid grazing

You know the rule: don’t graze while cooking. It’s very tempting to try a bit of everything, but if you graze and then eat a portion size as normal, you’re just adding random extra calories to your daily intake. Just hold off and eat once it’s all served up.

Get organized

Some people find that ordering the food shop online is a better option that going in yourself, where you’re bound to be tempted by all sorts of things that you weren’t planning on buying (no, you don’t need another tub of Celebrations).

It might be too late to book a good festive delivery slot, so go in with a strict list and don’t buy Christmas goodies too early, because you know as well as we do that it’ll all get eaten and you’ll still go out and buy another lot.

Plan out what you’re going to eat, make a list, and stick to it.

Keep exercising

Keeping your body moving means you’ll feel less sluggish and groggy when you (inevitably) eat loads of festive goodies. Long walks are a great way to get your steps in, and can be done with the whole family so you can socialize in the fresh air at the same time.

Set a date

How soon after Christmas will your overindulging stop? Will it be in the lull between Christmas and New Year, or would you rather take the pressure off and start again when January rolls around?

Whatever you think is best, it can help to set a date. Make a plan and stick to it – it’ll be tough but those healthy habits will be worth starting again.

Enjoy it

Despite everything, we do really want you to enjoy your Christmas. It’s rare that we get the opportunity to take some time out, to celebrate and reflect on the year and to spend time with loved ones, so make the most of it. If that involves more food and indulgence than usual, then so be it, you can pick things up again whenever you like. Savour your Christmas and enjoy every mouthful.

You’ve probably heard the buzz around protein, but why is it so important?

Worrying about your protein intake used to be something reserved for the most dedicated of bodybuilders, who knew that eating enough protein is essential for building show-stopping muscles.

But keeping up with your protein needs has since moved into the mainstream as we’ve all realised that getting enough not only helps support muscle growth, but it also makes eating well feel like less of a chore.

What does protein do?

Protein is essential for every cell in the body. It helps to build and repair muscle, cells, and tissue, and it’s so effective that it’s commonly known as the ‘building blocks’ of the body.

But it does much more than that. Protein plays a part in strengthening your immune system, transporting oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body, helping cells communicate, and it even helps give your hair, nails, and skin a protective barrier.

In short, protein helps to keep our bodies functioning. A lack of protein can lead to muscle loss, fatigue, and weakness, although it’s incredibly rare to become protein deficient in developed countries.

How does protein help with weight loss?

Increasing how much protein you eat is a fantastic way to encourage weight loss. It helps you to feel fuller for longer, because protein-rich foods are digested slower than carbohydrates. This can help you to eat less, as when you’re feeling satisfied, you’re much less likely to overeat or seek out unhealthy snacks.

Protein helps to preserve your muscle mass while you lose fat, which boosts your metabolism as your muscles continue to burn calories even when you’re at rest.

How much protein do I need?

How much protein you need varies from person to person and depends on how old you are, how tall you are, how much you weigh, and how active you are. In general, you should aim to get at least 0.75g of protein per kg of bodyweight, but if you’re trying to lose weight it’s a good idea to increase this to around 1.2g – 1.8g of protein per kg of bodyweight.

For example, if you weigh 110kg, you might aim to eat 132g of protein a day.

Sources of protein

Aim to include a source of protein in every meal. Good sources of protein include:

• Lean meats, like chicken and turkey
• Seafood, like tuna, salmon, and mackerel
• Eggs
• Dairy products, like Greek yoghurt, cheese
• Legumes, like edamame (soybeans), lentils, borlotti beans
• Tofu and tempeh
• Nuts and seeds, like hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, and almonds

You can also buy protein-enriched foods, including (but not limited to!) shakes, bars, pancakes, brownies, and cookies. You don’t need to eat any of these to get enough protein in your diet, but if you feel like you need a boost (perhaps after a particularly tough workout), be sure to check the label as many of these packaged foods are surprisingly high in calories, fat, and salt.

A good way to ensure you’re getting enough protein is to make sure you’re eating a wide variety of food. Don’t just stick to your usual meals – challenge yourself to make a meal with a vegetarian source of protein, or snack on nuts and seeds.

Sometimes, the scales are not our friend. It’s all too easy to get hung up on what they say each week, and it can be distressing when things aren’t going the way you’d hoped. When that happens, try not to take it to heart – there’s a whole lot more to weight loss than just the reading you get at one specific time.

Weight loss isn’t linear, which can be a hard thing to wrap your head around. That’s why you should focus on your non-scale victories as well as keeping a log of your weight. Keep a list on your phone or in a notebook and make a note of them when you notice them, so you can go back for a hit of motivation when you need it.

What are non-scale victories?

Non-scale victories (NSVs) are anything positive you notice about your weight loss – but as the name suggests, we’re not talking the number on the scales. Here are some examples of NSVs:

Measurements

A soft tape measure is a handy bit of kit for checking your weight loss progress. Take regular measurements of the same parts of your body: hips, waist, chest, thighs. You’ll soon see the inches falling away as you lose weight.

Photos

Take regular, full-length photos. You’re probably not going to feel comfortable taking them or looking at them, but no one has to see them but you, and sometimes we only see how much we’ve changed when looking back at photos.

Clothing

Pick a non-stretchy, structured item of clothing like jeans or a shirt and try it on once a month. As your body shape changes, you’ll notice how it feels (and looks) different on you.

Mood and energy

Eating better often leads to an increase in energy, as you’re fuelling your body with what it needs to flourish. Losing weight can also help with your sleep quality too, especially if you snore or have sleep apnoea.

Your mood may improve too, thanks to the feel-good hormones released when you get active, plus the sense of accomplishment when you start hitting your weight loss goals.

Fitness

Your strength, flexibility and endurance will get better and better the more you move. Make a note of your workouts, and you’ll soon see how something you found difficult in week 1 is a breeze by week 12.

Ease of movement

Losing weight is good news for your joints, which will start to move more freely and won’t ache as much. This is often a big one for guys losing weight, so if you notice your knees aren’t aching at the end of a long day as much as they were before, that’s a huge deal!

Everyday tasks

As you lose weight and your fitness improves, you’ll find that doing things like housework, climbing the stairs, and carrying shopping all become easier.

Comfortable digestion

Gone are the days of seemingly never-ending bloating and gas. Good food moves through your body better, and you’ll feel much better because of it.

Improved medical markers

Losing even a small amount of weight can help improve many medical markers, like your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and glucose levels. Each step you take towards losing weight is a positive step towards lowering your risk of developing serious health conditions.

All these improvements to your health and wellbeing are something to celebrate but try not to fall into the trap of rewarding yourself with food. Instead, reward yourself with:

• Playing your favourite video game, or treating yourself to a new one you’ve had your eye on
• Binge-watching your favourite show
• Meeting up with a friend for a coffee
• Reading a good new book
• Meditating
• Listening to your favourite music
• Going to the cinema

Whatever you choose is up to you. Have fun but remember not to go too nuts – you’ve still got weight to lose, after all!

A new season of MAN v FAT Rugby is just around the corner, and whether you’re a seasoned pro or a newcomer, there are a few ways you can prepare for a shiny new season to hit the ground running.

Re-evaluate your goals

It’s a good idea to revisit your goals every now and then, and at the start of a new season is a great time to do this. Figure out a realistic weight loss goal for the season, considering where you are now, and what challenges you can foresee over the duration of the next season (for example, if you have any holidays booked).

Don’t just set goals for how much weight you want to lose – think about setting yourself a fitness challenge for something to work towards.

Think about nutrition

The best way of giving yourself a head start at the start of the season is to make sure your diet is as healthy and balanced as it can be.

Get into the habit of boosting your meals with plenty of vegetables and lean protein and focus on staying hydrated by drinking water steadily throughout the day. Doing this will help you optimize your performance on the pitch when the time comes.

Pre-season training

It’s not essential but getting into the rugby mindset before your games kick off can go a long way to boosting your performance on the field.

Start incorporating activities like running, swimming or cycling into your routine to boost your endurance and cardio fitness, and think about doing rugby-specific drills, focusing on boosting your speed, coordination, and upper body strength.

Rest and recovery

Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep a night to allow your body to recover and repair. You’ll want to arrive at your club nights feeling well rested and ready to go, and it’ll be hard to enjoy it if you’re feeling sluggish and tired.

Injury prevention

It’s always important to warm up before working out, so don’t skip the warmup. You’ll be a lot less likely to injure yourself if your body is warmed up and ready for exercise, so have a read of 5 simple dynamic warm ups to swerve injury to prepare.

Above all, try and enjoy the start of a new season! It’s great to start with a blank slate, so make the most of it by showing up, giving it your best, and enjoying it.

You’ve probably heard of meal prepping and how beneficial it can be when you’re trying to lose weight. It doesn’t need to be complicated or Instagram-worthy, you’ve just got to find what works for you. Here’s how.

What is meal prepping?

It’s preparing your meals ahead of time. A common time to do this is on the weekend so you’re ready for the week ahead.

Your prep can be as simple as chopping veggies ready to add to meals or have as a snack throughout the week, or it could be grilling an entire pack of chicken breasts ready to add to meals. It could even be planning, preparing, and cooking your meals and snacks for the entire week.

Why should I do it?

By the time you get home from work at the end of the day and are feeling tired both mentally and physically, a takeaway just sounds so tempting. Does that sound familiar? No judgement if it does.

The aim of meal prepping is to make eating a healthy, balanced diet easy, so you’ve got an option ready to go that’ll help you stick to your weight loss goals.

How does it help me lose weight?

Takeaway dishes can be really high in calories thanks to cooking methods, processed ingredients, added sugar, and portion sizes. If you get into the habit of ordering a takeaway several times a week, that’s a lot of unnecessary extra calories added to your diet (and a lot of money to spend too!).

Taking the time to plan out your meals means you’re fully in control of what you eat, and you can make sure your menu for the week is tailored to your weight loss goals (calorie controlled, high in protein, etc.)

Do I have to meal prep everything?

No! Do what works for you. If you enjoy cooking to relax after work in the evening, carry on doing that. Think about what you’d like to streamline: if you know you’re short on time in the morning, focus on preparing your breakfasts in advance. But you certainly don’t have to do everything if you don’t need to.

How do I get started with meal prep?

First up, make a plan. What do you need to prepare, and for when? Are you going to go all out and try making all your meals for the week, or are you just going to focus on one thing, like prepping lunches, or making a batch of healthy snacks? Try to identify times when you feel like you need a little extra help to stay on track and start there. Figure out what’s going to work with your lifestyle, and pick foods you love to eat: this isn’t a punishment!

Isn’t it a pain in the arse?

It depends on how you look at it. It can seem like a lot of effort when in the middle of a meal prep session, surrounded by Tupperware boxes with the kitchen looking like a bomb has hit it. But that’ll soon be forgotten when you eat like a king for the rest of the week for minimal effort.

What do I need?

Time to do it.

Carve out some time to do it. Sundays are a popular time to meal prep so you can prepare for the work week ahead. If you’ve got a different working pattern, then choose a time that’ll suit you better.

A space to do it.

Before you start, make sure your kitchen is ready. It’s a lot easier to meal prep if the dishes are done and the kitchen counters are clear. The downside of meal prep is that you’re also going to be making a few days’ worth of mess when you make a few days’ worth of meals, so do your best to clean up after yourself as you go.

Something to put your meals in

People showing off their meal prep on TikTok might have fancy glass containers, but you don’t need them. Reusing old, mismatched food containers is fine – if you can find the lid, it’s good to go. Old takeaway containers are fine too but check that they’re ok to microwave.

If you’re buying new ones, things to look for are whether they’re microwave-safe, reusable, and if they’re plastic, BPA-free. Other things that can make life easier are whether they’re stackable, and if you’ve got one, suitable for the dishwasher.

An idea of what to make

The world’s your oyster when it comes to what you make for your meal prep. Think about what you enjoy eating as a starting point.

That said, there are some things that lend themselves to meal prep a little better than others. Salads that are full of leafy greens aren’t great for meal prep unless you’re eating them in the next day or two, for example.

Some things that work very well for meal prep include soups, stews, chili, oats, and curries.

Pinch of Nom, which is much-loved by MAN v FAT members, has a section for batch cooking recipes here. BBC Good Food, which is always a reliable source, has a meal prep section here, and we’re also a fan of recipe blog Beat the Budget, which has a collection of healthy, budget-friendly meal prep recipes here.

Getting peckish a few hours before your game? We’ve got you covered with these 5 great choices to stave off the hunger.

There’s nothing worse than turning up to rugby feeling ravenous. Your body needs fuel to score those winning tries, so rather than grabbing a pack of crisps or a chocolate bar in a race to get to your club night, get your mitts on one of these snacks that your body will thank you for.

Apple and peanut butter

Simple but effective. Cut an apple into pieces and pair it peanut butter. Around 2 teaspoons or 30-35g is a great portion size to make you feel satisfied and full while keeping the calories on the lower side.

Be careful though, peanut butter can have added sugar, salt and oil so pick your brand carefully and go for one that’s purely peanuts.

Nutritional benefits:

• Ticks off 1 of your five a day
• Source of fibre and protein to keep you feeling full
• Source of monounsaturated fat – the good sort of fat we need in small amounts

Banana on toast

Grab a medium sized banana, chop it up and spread it over a slice of toast. An average banana and one slice of toast keeps the calories down but again is geared to help you feel topped up. Want an even healthier option? Go for wholemeal bread.

Nutritional benefits:

• Ticks off 1 of your five a day
• Source of fibre (for fullness)
• Source of potassium (for energy and endurance)

Almonds

Around 20 almonds count as a serving. Perfect snack for having on the go and the health benefits are well worth considering.

Nutritional benefits:

• Packed with magnesium (improves exercise performance) and potassium (for energy and endurance)
• Source of monounsaturated fat (good fats)

Hummus

Hummus is so good, and it’s so versatile. Slice up a few raw veggies (carrots, peppers, cucumbers are all good shouts) and dip away, or pair with a few breadsticks or a toasted pita.

Nutritional benefits:

• Source of protein (great for building muscle)
• Source of fat (giving you energy aplenty)
• 1 (or more) of your five a day

Protein products

Protein and exercise go hand-in-hand, and with good reason. It helps you build muscle and keeps you feeling full.

You can get protein from lots of sources, but bars, shakes, and other protein-added products can be convenient if you’re in a rush, and they can be a tasty treat too. Just be sure to check the labels as bars can be higher in sugar and calories than you’d expect.

Here are a few of our favourites and how they stack up.

• Trek Power with Lotus Biscoff protein bars – 191 calories, 12g protein per bar.
• Danone GetPro chocolate protein mousse – 170 calories, 20g protein per pot.
• Arla Protein blueberry yoghurt – 142 calories, 20g protein per pot.
• MyProtein chocolate chunk protein brownie – 284 calories, 23g protein per brownie.
• Grenade Carb Killa chocolate chip salted caramel protein bar – 222 calories, 21g protein per bar.