Schedule Your “TREAT” Meals
With all the holiday parties and social
events headed our way, it’s easy to
go overboard and overindulge. The
real problem isn’t when we eat the
occasional holiday treat. Where
we fail is how we eat on a daily
basis. Plan your meals ahead
of time by packing your lunch
for work. Eat at home more
during the week. Then look ahead
at your holiday event schedule and mark
your fun meals on your calendar so you have
something to look forward too.
If you have a holiday event you really want to enjoy,
then eating healthy leading up to that event allows you
to enjoy your favorite foods without all the guilt.
Another tip is to only eat what you REALLY want. Don’t
fill up on every fattening dish available just because it’s
there. Choose that one extra special dessert or drink you
love most. And then enjoy it. It’s also helpful to eat at
home before you go to that Christmas party! Fill up on
healthy high protein meals prior and avoid that overstuffed
feeling.
Lastly, drink LOTS of water every day. Staying hydrated.
Avoiding sodas and sweet tea will help shed some
pounds between parties.
WALK!
Something that most people underestimate is the
power of walking. It’s the oldest exercise around and
only requires a comfortable pair of shoes. Make a
commitment to walk 30 to 60 minutes every
day to help maintain a healthy weight. It will
not only help keep pounds off, but will
help keep stress levels down.
High Intensity Workouts in
Moderation
Super high intense workouts can actually put more stress
on the body in an already stressful holiday season. I
never recommend my clients do high intense workouts
every day. Your body needs time to recover and
reenergize if you are exercising every day.
Moderate exercise every day yields more long term
results than killing yourself in the gym one day a week.
So aim for moderate exercise 3-5 days per week and add
1 (maybe 2) intense workouts per week. The
goal should be to be consistently exercising
each week…NOT punishing yourself for what
you ate the day before.
Exercise hard enough to
challenge yourself, but don’t
push to the point of injury
or complete exhaustion.
Find a balance that
works for you.
Workout Ideas to Break the
Holiday Weight Gain Cycle
If you are working out on your own, look for exercises
like squats, push ups, jump rope, lunges, mountain
climbers, etc. If you have been properly trained in
kettlebells, swings are an excellent way to blast fat
and calories. But, I do NOT recommend the use of
kettlebells, especially swings, to people who haven’t
trained with a qualified kettlebell instructor. If you aren’t
sure who is qualified to teach you, call me, I know a
lady.
Below is a sample workout you can do at home with
zero equipment:
• Choose 4 exercises
• Perform each exercise
between 30-60 seconds each
depending on your level of
fitness.
• Repeat those four
exercises for 5 rounds.
That will end up getting
in a good 20 minute
workout!
• A good full body
example would be:
Bodyweight Squats, Push ups, Lunges, & Jump Rope
(but change these up depending on your individual
needs).