Crazy to think that holiday season is already upon us, seriously…where has this year gone? When it comes to this time of year we all know what is going to happen. You will get together with family for Thanksgiving (while preparing and eating lots of food) while taking a few needed days off from work, then before you know it Christmas is here and once again you get together with family (while preparing food and eating lots of it once again). Before you are able to digest those 25 pounds of stuffing and mashed potatoes that you had for Christmas, New Years Eve comes around and partaking in that will consist of a lot of appetizer foods and of course a bottle of champagne to kick off another year. Are you ready for all of that?
Studies have shown that the AVERAGE person gains about 1.8 pounds during this time of the year, which may not seem like a lot, but think about what happens if you don’t burn off those 1.8 pounds after the holidays. Take that by 5 years and that is 9 pounds gained just because of this holiday season. Those 1.8 pounds will equal to 6,300 extra calories that are needed to be burned off, think about that for a second before going back for seconds. Now how can you prevent from overindulging and gaining those unwanted pounds? I have 6 simple ways to do so.
1. Write down what you eat/drink every day. This will help you keep yourself accountable for what you eat and drink and make you think twice about some choices.
2. Eat before get togethers/parties. A small snack before dinner or parties will help you from going all out with the finger foods and desserts that will be present. Something as simple as a yogurt or a handful of almonds will do the trick.
3. Do not skip meals. Hardest thing for people to realize is the fact that they don’t eat all morning before Thanksgiving, then once it is served you going all out because you are starving. Keep your regular routine with meals and it will save you in the long haul.
4. Stay active. If you know you are going over to your parent’s house with the entire family and you cannot resist your mom’s homemade stuffing, make sure to get some sort of exercise in (15-20 minutes minimum) beforehand so you feel better about having a scoop of stuffing.
5. Have ONE cheat treat. I’m not saying a “treat” as in as much dessert as you can fit on your plate, but rather after having 3 great days worth of food, go ahead and have a brownie or slice of pie. As long as you know you have been good for a couple of days, this will help you from going crazy on everything else.
6. Resist going overboard with the booze. After starting to get a little buzzed your body will keep telling you that you are hungry and need to eat. The more we drink the more likely you will indulge in an extra plate of food that you know you shouldn’t have.
Holiday season is a killer for everyone but if you have a good game plan going in and really rely on your willpower, you will get through it just fine. Just remember these 6 simple rules, do your best with what is presented in front of you, and you will do great this holiday season. Good luck everyone!
