Delicious Christmas turkey, mashed potatoes, cookies and puddings are hard to resist! Setting boundaries on your diet especially at this time of year can be challenging. Overeating during the holidays is common. Let this article help you set a strategic game plan and avoid the “Holiday Weight Gain”.
Q: What is the most challenging part of sticking to a fitness and health plan during the holiday season?
A: This time of year becomes very hectic and chaotic, people are attending office parties, kids are off from school, and relatives are in town. It’s difficult to designate time to exercising, and during the holidays, you are typically eating more food and drinking more then you normally would. Although it’s hard not to feel the holiday guilt of allowing yourself to binge a little, don’t feel guilty! It’s ok to let yourself enjoy this time of year. Just use proper time management, and set aside even half an hour each day to getting your heart rate up, and fitting in a quick workout.
Q: Do you structure your workouts differently during the busy holiday time?
A: I would definitely say I structure my workouts to be more intense during the holiday season. You can up the intensity because during this time, people are taking more time off work so they’re well-rested and could definitely use that killer workout because most people often are attending multiple events in which they are taking in more calories, so it’s definitely OK to take those workouts up a notch. During the holidays, it’s not uncommon for people to have more energy as there is an access in their diet, so they can use this in their workouts. This time of year can also be stressful, working out and having intense forms of exercise can be an outlet, and a great way to blow off steam.
Q: Can you provide some suggestions or incentives to add to a workout plan that will survive and last during the holidays?
A: It is really important to continue with your routine, especially throughout the holidays, even adding in more intense sessions to try and combat the holiday season can be a great way to tackle the extra calorie intake! Keep your workout schedule consistent (but make sure you’re not over working yourself either! your body won’t last continuing to do those types of intense workouts all the time). The point of keeping yourself accountable to your health and fitness during the holidays, is so when January rolls around you haven’t completely fallen off the wagon, and it’s not a shock to your body when you begin exercising consistently again.
Q: What are some easy tricks to not over indulge during this time?
A: First of all, enjoy and have fun! It’s part of the holidays to relax and indulge. There are easy and effective tricks that allow you to still enjoy yourself without feeling guilty. If you’re going to a dinner where you know you will be eating and drinking a lot, make sure you’re sipping on tons of water throughout the day to stay hydrated, and incorporate an extremely healthy breakfast and lunch that day. It’s not a bad idea to make the meals before a dinner party slightly smaller portions, this helps to not exhaust your body and feed it too many stressful calories. Apply this same routine every time you have an event coming up where you know you want to let loose, make extra healthy meals throughout the day, always drink tons of water, and add in those intense workout sessions!
2018 is knocking on the door! We know it’s challenging to limit yourself especially at this time of year. But remember, balanced diet and frequent exercise are keys to success.
Our warmest wishes for a happy holiday season! We hope you enjoy a wonderful holiday with your family and friends. See you in the new year!
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