Hello Friday! After a busy week, I am welcoming the weekend with open arms! However, within the fitness industry, weekends often tend to become weak-ends! With the will power out of the window, endless glasses of wine and not to mention the heavy filling meals eaten or worse the kababs at the end of the night, this can become a huge problem when you are trying to watch your waistline. But, what if you were to make the most of your night out and still manage to stay healthy throughout? Here are 8 ways…

1. Drink water throughout

Throughout the night, replace those sugary drinks with water. After every alcoholic drink have a glass of water – your head will thank you in the morning! You should also get into the habit of drinking water before a meal, this is because numerous studies have shown that those who do, lose weight faster than those who do not. It’s simple, water makes us feel full so in turn, we eat less.

2. Eat a healthy snack before

Turning up to a restaurant hungry means that you can easily over order and overeat. Having a small snack before you get there, quickly eliminates this problem. Studies have shown a high protein, low-calorie snack will help you feel fuller and will prevent overeating at a restaurant.

3. Oder your meal first

British politeness often means we tend to let others go first, but my tip to you is to jump in there quick! What other people order can often influence the whole table! By ordering a healthy option first you avoid the risk of adding those extra fries other people may have ordered.

4. Ask for dressings & sauces on the side

Dressings and sauces can often add a lot of calories and fat to your meal, so my advice to you is to ask for them on the side. That way you can use as much as you want, whilst remaining on track with your fitness goals.

5. Slow down when eating

Savour your food! Eating slower not only helps you feel fuller quicker, but you’re also helping your digestive system! So, sit back and enjoy the beautiful food!

6. Avoid sugary drinks

The main problem when on a night out is the sugary drinks which are on offer. Most alcoholic drinks are exempt from nutritional laws. So it’s easy for people to unknowingly drink and consume excess calories and sugar. Margaritas range from 190-360 calories, pina coladas contain on average 314 calories per drink and 13.5 grams of sugar.

But the biggest offender in terms of sugar is Pimm’s, which contain 25.3 grams of sugar per serving! To put that in context, the original glazed Krispy Kreme doughnut contains 12.6 grams of sugar and 200 calories. 4 grams of sugar is equal to one teaspoon which means Pimm’s contains 6 teaspoons of sugar!

7. Opt for low-calorie mixers

Dinners finished, now onto the bars. Don’t get the beers in! By choosing spirits like vodka, gin or whisky along with a diet fizzy drink or diet soda etc can really help you to avoid those added calories and sugar.

8. Dance like nobody is watching

Now, it’s time to get down on the dancefloor to burn off those calories. According to Harvard Health Publications, someone who weighs 57kg will burn about 180 calories with 30 minutes of fast dancing. If you weigh 70kg, that amount goes up to 223 calories… So, get your groove on!