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How to Stay in Shape for the Holidays

Holidays are a time of excitement, joy, parties, and being with family. It's also a time of chaos, food and more food. Yes, the holidays are the time when most people put on a few pounds due to all the delicious treats and big feasts. It's difficult to resist super-rich foods, overindulgence, and lower activity levels. Whether it be one pound, half a pound, or five pounds, the weight goes on and rarely comes off.  There’s so much temptation. Pumpkin pies, mashed potatoes, cookies and cakes galore. The latter adds up and becomes part of what we all dread: holiday weight gain. It happens to all most everyone.


Realistically speaking, especially if you are trying to stay trim during the holidays, your goal should be to fight the battle of the holiday bulge. You can not only stay in shape for the holidays but you may be able to lose some weight as well.  Achieving fitness doesn’t have to be challenging. With these fitness tips in place, you don’t have to feel too guilty after leaving a holiday party. Staying healthy doesn’t always forbid you from enjoying the holiday treats. But abuse does include some consequences that you may regret later.


First and foremost, it’s important to know that even though holidays are causes for celebration, they are not 2 months of celebratory eating. There may be more parties than a regular day of the actual holidays due to gatherings with work associates, friends and extended family, but you have to make a choice. Overeating your share is not going to help you stay in shape. Your scale will haunt you the very next day. It’s not an eating contest.  Know your limits and practice portion control.


Stick to your daily workout routine. Holidays may require a lot of your time preparation but its still important to fit some time for exercise in your schedule. For instance, if you normally run Thursday nights but you know two weeks in advance that you'll be going to a party, reschedule your workout for earlier in the day or the day before or after. Approaching holiday seasons is never an excuse for slacking off and you’ll wish you haven’t if you do.


Some people are under the false impression that skipping meals is an integral part to weight loss. Plus they feel that starving themselves for a couple of hours will enable them to afford some extra calories without putting on the weight. They couldn’t be any further from the truth.  Your body is put on starvation mode when you skip meals and anything you consume later on will be misinterpreted and stored as fat.  Rather than doing that, plan simple meals that everyone likes that are easy to pull together in a jiffy. Then you can be guaranteed to have good choices on hand when you need to grab something quickly.


If you are hosting a holiday party, look for healthy alternatives for your menu. You can curb some of the fat content and calories by changing some of the ingredients and still enjoy your traditional holiday meals.  Cranberry sauce is better for you than mashed potatoes loaded with butter. Maybe replace the stuffing with a fruit or a garden salad. Desserts can be light and simple as well.  


Don’t keep the leftovers. It's one thing to enjoy a big meal one day; it's another to eat it for the next week. Throw away the leftovers. Don’t add them to your other meals the next day. Or you can give them away if you feel too guilty seeing them all go to waste. You certainly don't need them. You got your fill and that's it.



Staying in shape and losing some weight does not require you to sacrifice the food you enjoy eating. But think twice before you overindulge. Eating in moderation won’t hinder your weight loss goals but having too much of your favorite treat will.  Don’t make a meal out of it. If the temptation is too much for you to resist, then make a commitment to walk everywhere you go the following day while shopping. You can create compromises but stick to them.


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