A lot of us suffer from those winter blues, not wanting to leave the house because of the cold miserable weather, comfort eating on the freezing winter nights and losing that motivation you need to get yourself to the gym which seems to come so easily during the summer.

Here we represent to you our PhD Femme top tips on how you can stay in shape this winter!

•  We are all likely to start comfort eating in winter; this we see as making ourselves feel better, but what we really need to do is eat healthier to give us that boost from all the right nutrients. Chicken Stew has approximately 310 calories per serving. A popular meal during winter, packed with protein and vegetables – you can cook it in approximately 20 minutes on a pressure cooker or on a slow cooker during the day so it is a perfect healthy option meal which will be ready for your arrival from work.

• When going to the gym why not plan 2-3 training sessions in advance. An idea is to focus on one area in particular, for example one session aimed purely on upper body and the next session you can focus on your lower body. This will allow you to concentrate more on what you want to achieve and with more time given to one particular area means results will be shown quicker rather than trying to fit everything in to one gym session. Packing everything in to one session can see you tire and lose that drive and motivation you need to achieve your goals.

• The right music puts us all in a good mood; invest in a suitable music device to keep that motivation going during exercise. Upbeat high tempo songs can increase your focus and help give you that drive in the gym when fatigue is kicking in. It gives you something else to think about, keeps concentration going for longer resulting in your training sessions going faster and you reaping the benefits!

• We all need inspiration when dieting so why not focus on one particular goal. A perfect goal-setter for winter would be that beautiful LBD for your Christmas party. Focusing on fitting in to that smaller size dress can give you the determination you need to reach your target goal. Having that aim at the front of your mind to focus on ensures you have that drive you need to keep going when times get hard, start the new you today!

• Protein is needed for your muscles to recover therefore starting a new fitness regime or upping your anti in your existing one requires this daily protein intake. Protein not only aids muscle recovery but it increases energy and leans and tones muscle; the more muscle you have the more weight you can lose. Think of protein as an essential part of your diet as it can be seen as a girl’s best friend!

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