Michelle Bridges reveals her top five tricks for preventing dreaded winter weight gain

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Michelle Bridges reveals her top five tricks for preventing dreaded winter weight gain

Personal trainer Michelle Bridges has revealed her top tips for avoiding weight gain over winter and the five pieces of budget equipment to have on hand for working out at home.

The 49-year-old former Biggest Loser Australia trainer urges people to take their health seriously as the weather cools down and to maintain a consistent fitness routine, make a to-do list and stay accountable for their calories. 

‘There’s a reason they ask you to put your oxygen mask on before assisting others… it’s because they have taken the resentment, martyrdom and guilt trips out of it and replaced it with absolute common sense,’ Michelle told FEMAIL.

‘Unless you are functioning, no one else and nothing else will work well either. Everyone and everything gets the best of you when you are taking care of you.’

Michelle Bridges has revealed her top tips for avoiding weight gain over the winter period and the five pieces of equipment to have on hand for working out at home

In order to prevent weight gain – or lose it in the lead up to winter – the fitness coach recommends making a plan of your meals each week – including snacks – so you know what you’re putting into your body. 

 Unless you are functioning, no one else and nothing else will work well either.

For breakfast Michelle might start with a poached egg on sourdough bread with wilted spinach, followed by a snack of apple slices with hummus.

For lunch she’ll heat up leftovers, which might be bolognese sauce over some steamed broccolini.  

Other sweet treats like strawberries, blueberries or veggie sticks with hummus help the trainer get through the 3pm slump, before she refuels with a BBQ salmon and cannelloni bean with avocado salad for dinner. 

Michelle Bridges’ typical day on a plate in winter

Breakfast: Poached egg on sourdough bread with wilted spinach.

Lunch: Last night’s leftover bolognese sauce over some steamed broccolini.

Dinner: BBQ Salmon with a cannelloni bean and avocado salad.

Snacks: Apple slices with hummus OR strawberries and blueberries OR veggie sticks with hummus.

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For breakfast Michelle might start with a poached egg on sourdough bread with wilted spinach, followed by a snack of apple slices with hummus

Then factor in some daily exercise – like the five-minute session Michelle has been filming for Big W’s entertainment hub – and invite a training buddy to get involved to motivate you

If she’s sharing a meal with her son Axel she often makes homemade chicken schnitzel with organic chicken, steamed broccolini and sweet potato mash.

She also factors in regular daily exercise – like the five-minute workout for mums sessions she has been filming for Big W’s Days at Home Entertainment Hub – and advises inviting a training buddy to get involved with you.

She advises ensuring your family is aware of the goals you’ve set so they don’t unwillingly pressure you into eating something you don’t want to. 

Ensure your family is aware of the goals you’ve set yourself so they don’t unwillingly pressure you into eating something you don’t want to, and ask if they want to get involved too

Michelle Bridges: Top five tricks for preventing winter weight gain

1. Get organised! Start with making a plan of meals with easy recipes, which can also be frozen or leftovers for lunch, build a shopping list and order online if it makes it easier. Also consider what you might like for snacks. 

And on that note clear out your kitchen of those ‘snacks’ that are holding you back from what you say you would like to achieve. Your kitchen is HQ when it comes to shedding some kilos and getting your health back on track. 

2. Set up a routine that works for you around getting some exercise/activity in. I’ve been filming five minute workouts for BIG W’s BIG Days at Home entertainment hub. If 5 minutes is all you’ve got, great. If you’ve got more time, then string a few of these together and build your own workout. 

3. Train with someone if possible! A training buddy can keep you accountable and energised. You can bounce ideas off each other for training and actually have a lot of fun together.

4. Make a TO DO list! All the things you can do to distract you from hanging around the kitchen. Call Mum. Clean out the towel cupboard. Take your dog for a walk. Do some filing. You get the idea. Distraction and stay busy.

5. Have a straight conversation with your family. Be vulnerable and heartfelt about your quest to better health. Let them know how important it is to you. You don’t have to have absolute buy in, but you might find they will be your biggest champions and source of inspiration.

One of the biggest mistakes Michelle sees women make is taking on too much too quickly when it comes to workout out or limiting their calories. 

‘They are overwhelming themselves with an all or nothing attitude and try to change 57 things about their current situation and then within a few days wave the white flag that it’s all too much! That’s because it is,’ she said.

‘Those current habits and routines which might be holding you back didn’t just turn up recently. Most likely they have been honed over years. So, to change a few things, it’s going to take one thing at a time.

‘Get one practise down for a week or more and then add something else. Set yourself up for success and give yourself a chance to really make it work.’

While gyms across Australia are still closed because of the coronavirus Michelle doesn’t believe that’s an excuse to stop training completely.

While gyms across Australia are still closed because of the coronavirus Michelle doesn’t believe that’s an excuse to stop training completel

Her top workout gadgets to invest in include a weighted vest for adding some extra strain to your routine (left), boxing mitts for shadow boxing at home, a gym ball for Pilates ab curls and a jump rope for a cardio hit (right)

Her top workout gadgets to invest in from Big W include a foam roller to stretch with, a weighted vest for adding some extra strain to your routine, boxing mitts for shadow boxing at home, a gym ball for Pilates ab curls and a jump rope for a cardio hit.

If you need to integrate your children into a workout, avoid the props, and instead try to do activities with them that involve various movements. 

‘Bike ride, hopscotch, skipping, hula hoop, tag, stuck in the mud… kill two birds with one stone and work out while playing,’ Michelle said. 

Source: Daily Mail australia

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