You have all the best intentions of sticking with your healthy habits through the holidays, and then WHAM! You look down on the scale on Jan. 1 and you put on 10 lbs.! How can this be?
Putting on weight (or losing muscle mass) during the holidays is a common thing, but we can take some simple steps to minimize drastic changes. Here are my 3 fitness tips to survive the holidays.
Keep getting your workouts in-Just because it’s the holidays doesn’t mean you skip your workouts. Set your alarms, put it in your calendar, or tell a loved one/friend that you need to stick your your workout regimen. Yes, you might celebrate a little more during this time of the year, but setting aside 30 minutes to an hour four times per week to get a sweat in will set you up for success when the holidays pass.
Drop the Guilt and Shame-Having a few drinks or enjoying the holiday cookies WILL NOT derail all of your progress. However, hanging on to guilt and shame for enjoying yourself will. All G and S will do is pull you away from what you truly are…a healthy person! Drop these two unwanted guests during the holiday time and when the new year hits, you’ll be off to the races.
Enjoy, but don’t make it a sport-Like I said above, enjoy your favorite desserts or a drink with your friends, but don’t make it a contest in how full or drunk you can get. The simplest way to avoid this is TRACK YOUR DRINKS/DESSERTS. I know that seems odd, but yes, if you track these things it will prevent you from overdoing it. How? Awareness. I can’t tell you how many times I have asked clients how many drinks they have in a week and they have undershot by 50-100%! If you track your metrics, you will minimize the damage while still being able to love the holidays. During the next holiday party, cap your adult beverages to 2 (preferably something will low sugar content) and move on!
With a few simples steps, you can make it through the holidays and actually feel MORE motivated when the ball drops. Of course, having an experienced coach to guide you through uncharted waters makes things A LOT easier. Click the link below to receive world class coaching today!