5 Tips to Help You Stay Fit Around the Holidays
Although the holidays are abundant with the creation of precious memories, they can also bring about fear and angst. You know you are going to face buffet tables loaded with high fat and high calorie foods, so you brace yourself for the impact – and the subsequent weight gain.
However, holidays don’t have to be a time when your fitness goals slip through your fingers. You can keep a handle on your weight this time of year, and here are 5 tips to help you do it:
Tip 1 – Be realistic.
If you normally gain 10 pounds during the holidays, expecting to lose may be a stretch. Instead, realign your goal to be one of only gaining 5 pounds or simply maintaining your weight as these are both more realistic and more doable.
Tip #2 – Plan ahead.
Just as the holidays come at the same time each year, usually you have the same obstacles every time they roll around. The more your plan addresses these hurdles, the greater your success will be in navigating them.
Tip #3 – Be the leader,not the follower.
While it may be easy to fill your plate and eat unhealthy foods like everyone else, you’re better off being a leader and making your own decisions regardless of what others are doing. Who knows? You may just inspire someone else to be healthy in the process.
Tip #4 – Get more active.
Because the holidays likely mean eating more, you can balance out the extra calories by becoming more active. Take a few extra laps at the gym or do a few more reps on the weight machine and you’ll be able to avoid some of the traditional holiday weight gain.
Tip #5 – Enjoy yourself.
If you stress about the holidays, your body is going to produce more cortisol which is the hormone that helps you retain fat. Learn to let go of some of the tension and your weight will go with it.
The holidays shouldn’t be something you dread, but something you look forward to. Follow these five tips and that is exactly what you will do – while still meeting your goals in the process.
