How To Get Through The Holidays
Cookies, cakes, pies and Mom’s gravy soaked roast beef. The holidays can be a nightmare when you’re trying to lose weight. Avoid these foods and you’ll make your trainer happy. Refuse to eat and the feelings of your family and friends might be hurt.
How can you enjoy the holidays without going insane or destroying your weight loss efforts?
There are some tips and tricks you can follow to help you enjoy the festivities without adding extra pounds to your waistline. To get through the holidays without coming out on the flip side 10 pounds heavier, you may want to:
• Strategize with your trainer – Talk to your trainer and get ideas for bending your program to accommodate a little extra eating, if possible. You may want to, for example, increase daily exercise or decrease calorie consumption at other meals during the day. Unless your weight loss program has been set in place for medical reasons like combating the effects of diabetes, a little give and take is probably perfectly okay.
• Avoid skipping meals – Holiday time does last over the course of several weeks. This is not the time to try skipping meals and planned snacks to “save up calories” for holiday splurges. Instead, eat normal portions at all meals leading up to big holidays feasts so you’ll keep your metabolism primed. This will also help you avoid overeating at big dinners.
• Learn to politely say no – If you’re on a strict diet or you just can’t eat another bite, learn to say no politely. Explain to family and friends that you’d love a piece of pie, but it eating it is not part of your meal plan for a new, healthy you. There are fun and polite ways of declining foods that are not in alignment with your goals.
• Keep portions under control – During the holidays, moderation is key. If your trainer gives you the green light to eat a slice of pie, don’t take a giant piece. You may even want to consider going for a bite-sized slice so you can sample a bit of another dish, too. Just resist the urge to overeat and keep portion size in mind.
• Have alternative exercises ready to go – It can be especially difficult to make it to the gym during the holidays. Between family obligations and work-related affairs, the calendar can become full fast. Don’t use this as an excuse to skip exercising all together. Instead, talk with your trainer about options you can employ if you’re away from home or just can’t fit in a trip to the gym.
• Watch alcohol consumption – While spirits might be high during the holidays, you will want to watch just how many toasts you take part in. Alcohol quickly turns to sugar in the body and it can add a ton of calories to the diet fast. An occasional drink is probably okay, but choose alternatives most of the time to keep diet plans on track.
Getting through the holidays without gaining a ton of weight can be an exercise in persistence. When a game plan is put into place before the festivities start, you can enjoy yourself without going off track.
About the Author
Steve Gardiner is the owner of “Gold’s Health & Fitness”, Rotorua’s premier fitness and fat loss center. If you’re ready to begin your fat loss journey please call (07)3488998 right now to receive a complimentary nutrition and fitness Consultation (valued at $97).
