The holidays are all about togetherness, family, love, celebrating and eating; loads of eating. The average person can gain anywhere from 10-15 lbs during these times, and then of course resolve to lose it, just so they can put it back again next year. But then again there’s no reason why you’d have to be the rule and not the exception. Follow these simple fitness tips on how to prevent holiday weight gain. These will help you stay on track and in shape during the festivities.
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Schedule time with your bff, Gym.
Much like an appointment, block it out so you really commit to it. Instead of “winging it”, have a set time and stick to it. It’s easier to stay consistent once you make that promise to workout to yourself. I personally like to get it out of the way early in the morning. Not only does that give me a nice full day, but I don’t have to worry about squeezing it in later. I am only human, I know the further back I push it, the less likely I am to do it.
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Plan your training
You have the daus blocked out, now it’s time to map out your routine. Plan ahead for the whole week, so you know what needs to be accomplished. Having something to work towards helps keep you focused and motivated.
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Grab a workout buddy
Accountability is key. Most of us feel the holidays means a break from your routine. Knowing that someone expects you to show up, much like you expect them to do so tends to motivate people to go. Also, it’s more fun to sweat in company. There’s a host of partner workouts out there that will keep your time in the gym fresh and fun. You can even have a little friendly competition with each other to give that extra umph.
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Don’t hibernate
Depending on where you live, the days can get darker and colder, making us wanting to stay in the warm, curled up on the couch, maybe even over snacking. Make an effort to go out, walk as much as you can. You’ll even burn more since you’re body has to work harder to keep you warm.
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Sweat at home
This day and age you have so many at-home workouts to choose from: DVDs, streaming content, youtube, magazine cut outs, you really have no excuse not to squeeze in a quick 30-minute circuit. You don’t even need much equipment, just use your bodyweight. There are times when I can’t make it to the gym for one reason or another, my DVDs are come in really handy those times. You can even get the rest of the family involved and get everyone sweating.
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Have your meal and eat it too
I get it, some of these are treats you only see during Christmas or Thanksgiving, you’ve been waiting all year and you want them all. You eat til you can’t breathe. Let me remind you of two things: you can have just a sample of everything, and there is such a thing as leftovers. You can start all over again the next day. There’s no reason to try and wipe the serving dish clean. And slow down, no shoveling, no swallowing without chewing. It takes 20 minutes for the brain to register you’re full. Most people overindulge because they simply eat too damn fast for our system to catch up. And no, I will not deprive you of your desert; hell I’d be the first in line for a slice of sweet potato pie. Just keep in mind the nutritional values. Have a small slice instead of a massive one. You still get the taste and the satisfaction, but you just saved yourself a ton of sugar and calories.
Hope this will help you stay on track to prevent holiday weight gain. And if you need ideas for healthy meal’s check out Monday’s post for inspiration. Happy Holidays!
Viktoria
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