Intertain

Over the years I have struggled to maintain a body that is healthy and makes me feel beautiful. My biggest challenge has always been that I am a social butterfly. I was suffering from FOMO well before it was an acronym.

FOMO

ˈfəʊməʊ/
noun
informal
1. anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on a social media website.
"I realized I was a lifelong sufferer of FOMO"

In my 20s I was all out of balance. Too much party, not enough sleep and certainly not enough cardio. Luckily in your 20s your body can take it. I could have eaten Tupperware and my body would have metabolized it. But as you get older it gets harder to live life in the fast lane and still rock that LBD.

So what is a girl to do? Eat salad at home (no dressing) and go to bed early? No thanks! You know that saying ‘Nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels’? Who ever coined that phrase must never have tasted white truffle risotto, or chocolate mousse, or wine!

Look, the heartbreaking truth is, it’s easier to lose or maintain weight if you never go out and keep the fridge bare, but who wants to live like that? Not me, and I hope since you’re reading this, not you either. So how do we maintain our hard won hot-bods when life is determined to get in the way? Here are a few realistic tips to help you enjoy your food and your life.

So you’re eating out, attending a dinner party or having an Intertain chef over?

You know you’re going to a fabulous dinner party and you’re sure it will be all brioche and butter.

Do you:
a. avoid food all day so you have maximum calorie count come dinner
b. eat as cleanly and strategically as possible during to day to avoid over indulging at dinner
c. cancel dinner and stay home, FOMO be damned.

Ok we know ‘c’ isn’t an option, and ‘a’ is going to end in tears when you roll home having stuffed yourself silly thanks to your uncontrollable hunger. In this scenario we have all made the mistake of doing an ‘a’ and more than likely a ’c’ too, but ‘b’ is the way of the future.

Eat so you don’t over eat later

Plan ahead, start your day with a couple big glasses of water, and a satisfying breakfast full of protein and fiber. What about some multi-grain (low GI) toast, smashed avocado and sliced tomatoes, or porridge with a sprinkle of crushed nuts? Breakfast starts your body’s engine, and trust me, you want that. Make sure you snack throughout the day on healthy low calorie foods and don’t forget to drink lots of water.

Ordering like a pro is easy when you know how

Assess the menu (you could even go online and do it in advance). You want to avoid foods that have been fried, battered, or cooked in fat. Steamed fish is better than fried fish etc., and ask for sauces on the side. You certainly won’t when you can slip easily into your new bikini come summer. Or you might even select the healthy-clean-eating Intertain chef like Charlotte Miller, Emma Rosen or Tania Sickerdick with vegan, vegetarian, paleo or gluten-free options.

Tips for enjoying a tipple

The key is to always drink in moderation. Champagne is a fabulous low sugar drink to enjoy when out, as is vodka with a mixer like soda water and fresh lime. If you’re drinking wine with a meal try and stick to a dry white like Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc.

So now you have some tools to help you enjoy your many social engagements (no FOMO here!), but there is one more thing to remember. Sometimes you just have to go the whole hog – literally and figuratively. Occasionally you need to give yourself permission to indulge. Enjoy, don’t count calories, dance wildly, drink a little too much and eat two desserts, then spend the next week eating cleanly and maybe try fasting for a day or two.

Life is for living and it’s so much sweeter when you’re not afraid of the dessert cart.

p/s: As you can tell, the writer of this article is a massive foodie and she lives to eat when she’s not indulging in cat videos.