How to Stay in Shape for the Holidays
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.