It has been a glorious autumn and of the 60+ outdoor sessions I have led in the last 7 weeks I think only 2 or 3 were vaguely wet. This is good for me and my clients and I hope it means you've all been enjoying the sunshine too! I've added pictures above of some of the great views from sessions this month...to inspire you to get outside when the sun shines. Aside from seeing some of you run your first 5K or get back into fitness for the first time in many years, one of my absolute highlights might have been getting lost in the woods with my over 60s walking group and hearing the group giggling like school girls. We never quite resolved whose fault it was that we got lost but I think they all felt 30 years younger for the 10 minutes it took us to scramble our way back to the main path!
It is getting cooler though. I've given in to central heating and am trying to resist the primal urge to eat lots and create that extra layer of fat our ancestors needed to get them through the winter!
Here are some top tips for snack resistance.
1. Drink more water/herbal tea - staying well hydrated is a good way to avoid confusing thirst with hunger
2. Eat a great breakfast with a good combination of protein, fat and carbohydrate to keep you going (think porridge with seeds, fruit and yogurt or a spinach and mushroom omelette). This will get the day off to a good start, balance your blood sugar levels and avoid the mid morning low blood sugar crash.
3. Get outside whenever you can (I know, I always say that!) but fresh air and exercise can really help your body to know what time of day it is - a lunchtime walk to get some sun on the parts of your skin still showing at this time of year is a good thing.
4. Go to bed early. It's gets dark so much earlier that we can almost lose a sense of when it's late and time to go to bed. Being overtired is terrible for our stress levels and can cause you to reach for sugary foods the next day to get you through the exhaustion. Set an alarm if you need to and give yourself an hour between switching screens off and going to sleep.
Simple ideas that you've probably heard before. When the snack attack comes then an apple and some nuts or carrots and houmous, can be a good combination.
Let me know what you find most helpful!