5 TIPS TO HELP YOU STAY ON TRACK OVER THE HOLIDAYS

Fitness isn’t a seasonal hobby!

With the average weight gain during the holidays being 7-10 pounds, and Thanksgiving (the highest calorie consumption day of the entire year!!) coming up, staying on track may seem a bit daunting or unrealistic. But it doesn’t have to be!

I have come up with some tips on how to stay on track through the holiday season so you can continue progress for a happier, healthier you.

HOW TO STAY ON TRACK THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

1. Log your food

Even if it’s pecan pie, JUST LOG IT! This is important because ultimately it will be the TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED that will throw your goals off the most, not the TYPE OF CALORIES. Especially if it is only a day or two with these richer types of foods. In a food logging study, most people remembered only 80% of what they ate the previous day, and couldn’t recall or forgot the other 20%. That could be 400? 600? Calories that are forgotten. Or in exercise measurements, 4 to 6 miles of extra walking. You do your goals and yourself a favor when you keep track of exactly what you are putting into your body.

2. Drink your water

This will help you eat less and get rid of extra bloat that comes with all those calorie dense holiday foods. 120oz should be a starting point, depending on the person. Men should have more, women that are working out and sweating can have more. Talk to your doctor about the amount of water you should be drinking if you have any heart related health problems. These are just general, the main thing here is, if you are staying hydrated, it's much easier to keep calories at bay and not overeat.

3. Moooove!

Stay active while you are consuming more calories! No, you can't outwork a bad diet but this will help buffer those excess caloriesTake a walk with your family post meal and walk some of that food off and you will feel much better, Aaaand, if you are taking a walk after your meal, that is time for your body to digest food and time that you are not eating, or sitting in front of the desert trying to decide if you want seconds, or thirds, or...we will stop there, hopefully, at least my clients! Getting cardio in on a high calorie day is going to help tremendously and I highly recommend it.

4. Spread out your Meals and Use Portion Control

Don’t go straight for dessert right after your meals.. Wait…Choose a couple things you REALLY want and skip out on the other foods that are not so great. Just get a small amount of those foods you don’t want to “miss out” on and don’t go back for seconds, one plate and DONE.

5. Plan Your Day Properly

Be Smart, and go into the day with a plan. Don't skip other meals just so you can eat more for Thanksgiving lunch/dinner. This is only going to cause you to be MORE hungry and end up consuming more calories. Also, consuming too many calories at once will result in your body storing fat easier, because it is in excess of what your body can burn in a given amount of time. Sooooo, go ahead and have your other meals leading up to the party/dinner, even if it's just a meal replacement shake in place of your other meals earlier or later in the day. This way your hunger is at bay so it is MUCH easier to make better choices.

It is ultimately up to you to make better, wiser, healthier choices but when the day or season becomes overwhelming, just look back over these tips and remember PROGRESS NOT PERFECTION. Do better than you did last year and most importantly, choose YOURSELF and YOUR HEALTH!

Now when the NEW YEAR rolls around you’ve already got a JUMP START on those GOALS!