Koningsdag 2014 will be celebrated for the first time this year and is expected to be a worthy successor to the always enjoyable Queen’s Day. Koningsdag should become one of the coziest days of the year in the Netherlands, where alcohol flows freely. A drink here and there, a tasty snack in between, and maximum enjoyment with friends around you. However, you don’t want to suffer too much damage from the drinks and food outside. What’s the best way to minimize the damage?
If you’re like me and you enjoy a drink and a bite from time to time, you want to be able to enjoy them without feeling guilty. After all, you’ve worked hard for your fitness results and don’t want them to be lost because of a day when you might have a drink or eat less strictly.
I’ll never advise you to drink alcohol, but if you do, thanks to this Koningsdag Survival Guide, you’ll have tools to do it in a way that causes you less harm.
In other words, how can you ensure that you can enjoy yourself to the fullest without losing your hard-fought muscle mass and toned abs?
Drink water in between
The damage from alcohol can be limited by staying well-hydrated, and of course, the best way to do this is by drinking water. It can be challenging to ask for water occasionally in your group of friends when everyone is getting rounds of drinks. However, it’s not impossible to drink enough water, for example, in the following ways:
A. Agree that everyone will regularly drink water together. For example, after every second beer or wine.
B. Every time you go to the toilet, drink plenty of water. Order a bottle at the bar and try to refill it when possible.
C. Drink enough beforehand. It’s not as useful as drinking water between alcoholic drinks, but it still makes a difference. Drink a liter or so in the hours before you leave the house.
A handy tool: The fitness app ‘WaterIn’ helps you drink enough water by sending you a reminder when it’s time to replenish your fluids.
In any case, drink at least half a liter of water before going to bed. A hangover is mainly caused by dehydration, so you can easily prevent it.
Don’t eat too much fat
By eating less the day before you start drinking, you’ll have more ‘room’ for the calories you’ll get from alcohol. This results in less chance of fat storage because you’ll have a smaller calorie surplus by the end of the day.
What may be even more important is to avoid eating foods high in fat. Your liver converts alcohol into acetate, which has the property of inhibiting fat burning. If you have a lot of fatty acids circulating in your body, almost all of them will be stored as body fat.
If you’re grabbing a bite to eat between parties, opt for a meal rich in proteins. Often supermarkets are open, and you can grab a container of cottage cheese. If that’s not possible and you’re stuck with junk food, opt for fried chicken but remove the skin.
Choose your alcoholic drink wisely
One drink may contain fewer calories than another. That could be a good reason to switch from your favorite ‘poison of choice.’ Assuming you’re better off avoiding alcohol altogether, there are worse and less worse drinks. Spirits like vodka, whiskey, and tequila are a less bad choice because they contain the fewest calories per serving. Dry white wine is a good, less bad, second choice with just a fraction more. Beer and cocktails are best avoided as they have the most potential to make you gain weight.
Only drink alcohol at the beginning
Most people drink mainly to loosen up and get into the spirit. Do you recognize that in yourself? Then drink mainly (strong) alcohol at the beginning of the day. This will put you ‘in the flow’ and you’ll experience the fun. Because people around you become increasingly intoxicated, you won’t even notice after a while that the alcohol has worn off. You can consume less or no alcohol for the rest of the day.
Stay active
Alcohol use has a negative effect on your insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism. One way to minimize this effect is to keep moving. So, opt for the bike instead of taking a taxi and choose to dance instead of lounging. If you want to impress the opposite sex and not wake up alone in the morning, do some push-ups regularly or carry a beautiful girl on your shoulders and show off a few sets of your deepest squats 😉
When you’re enjoying King’s Night tomorrow or King’s Day on Saturday, it’s a good idea to take the above into account as a survival guide. If you read them a day late and have a massive hangover, they’ll be useful for next time.
Again: I would never advise you to drink, but if you do, thanks to this article, you’ll have tools to do it in a way that causes you less harm.
However you proceed, try to make sensible choices and limit the consequences of alcohol and festival food. After all, you didn’t work so hard at the gym for nothing.
