Healthy Holiday Habits

As the holidays approach, personal schedules become busier and more crowded with parties and events. Temptations arise and soon exercise becomes an after-thought. It’s no surprise, then, that the average woman gains between 4- 8 pounds during the holiday season. Don’t let that be you! Avoid the holiday pitfalls, which may trap your fitness goals, by following these guidelines:

Maintain an exercise schedule but be flexible. If you already have a fitness routine, it is important to stick with it and remain focused. Many routines have 1- 2 days of rest and recovery. Allow yourself to move your rest days based on how busy your schedule is from day to day; or reduce the length of your workouts, but increase the amount of days you exercise. Even if you have to reduce your workout length, you’ll still gain more benefits from those 15-30 minutes. Not exercising at all will allow you to lose your drive, motivation, momentum and your results. The holidays won’t last forever and once your relatives leave, you can go back to longer, more frequent and intense workouts.

Avoid fasting, and control splurging. The worst thing you can do to your body is not eat. By fasting all day for one large meal, your body slows down its’ metabolic rate (the speed at which your body converts digested food into energy) and when exercising, your body slows its’ process of burning fat. The best thing you can do is eat five small meals each day. The key word in that preceding sentence is small. If that isn’t possible, and you attend cocktail parties or office socials where numerous hors d’ourves are served, limit yourself to just a taste of everything you want. Don’t return to simply graze or overindulge. Remember to arrive at these parties after having a light, low-calorie nutritious meal. That way you won’t be hungry and have the temptation to splurge.

Eggnog, spiked drinks and wine, oh my! Drinks are not calorie free. A glass of wine or a “light” beer has at least 100 calories. And that is a 4 ounce glass of wine. Measure 4 ounces in your wine glass. You may be surprised to find that your typical glass of wine is really 2-3 times that amount. Spiked eggnog and some mixed drinks can have almost 700. Not only is alcohol high in calories but it also increases the body’s appetite. If you choose to drink alcohol, do your best to set a limit and supplement your amount with a calorie free and sugar free beverage. Remember, your best choice is water. Water doesn’t have any calories; water increases your metabolism, flushes the toxins from your body and is far more inexpensive. A glass of sparkling water with a lime may be the perfect alternative to that high-caloric mixed drink.

Be realistic but have fun. The holiday season is a great time to focus on your health. It is possible to lose weight during the holidays, and there are fitness programs designed to “maintain and not gain.” If you are trying to avoid all temptations, you might be setting yourself up for failure. Remember, the holidays are about giving and sharing time with those you care about. Healthy socializing is just as important as a healthy diet and proper exercise. Moderation is the key. Enjoy a healthy holiday season.


Tips for a Healthy Holiday

Walk it off. After the meal invite your relatives to see the lights and take a walk as a family.
Try a new version of an old favorite. Decide to make a healthy version of a traditional dish.
Rest. Find time for yourself, if only a few minutes each day.
Stay hydrated. Drink your water!
Breathe deep and relax.
Limit sweets. Enjoy salads and veggies instead or fill up on healthy choices first.
Combine shopping with walking.
Get a good night’s sleep. Take a nap if you need to.
Feed someone who needs it more. Take time out for others as a way to give back to your community. Giving of yourself makes you healthier on the inside!
Set goals! A new year is a great time to focus on what you really want.


You can do it!


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