Sometimes you just need a quick reminder of basic tips and tricks for staying healthy and fit during the onslaught of holiday treats. In today’s super brief post, I wanted to offer some of the very same advice that I give my personal clients who train with me for fat loss!
- Don’t change your normal routine. The healthy eating and workout routine you’ve established has taken some hard work, don’t fail yourself now! Yes, there are more sweets available and its fair to say you must enjoy life, so (with limits) enjoy yourself, but at the same time, STAY ON TRACK! Always be sure to keep your fitness routine on schedule. For instance, before a holiday dinner, go do a full body workout! Don’t lose your workout time because you have a holiday dinner coming up; make that workout WORK for you! Keep in mind, during times of stress, exercise is a great form of stress-management! Remember, by staying on track you will feel better, stay less stressed and as a result of feeling great, you will make better food choices. All the more reasons to keep that routine in place.
- Make foods you will eat without feeling guilty! All of us go to parties, gatherings, pot-lucks and they become more frequent this time of year. Remember to bring something that you will eat and you enjoy eating GUILT FREE. The holidays are great times to get creative and make a fun dish that is health conscious. It also guarantees you have something healthy to choose from when you are faced with the choices of all the other foods!
- Remember your WATER. There are plenty of diet suggestions out there about choosing low calorie drinks, and we are not opposed to this. But one step above that is WATER! While remembering meal syntax, remember drink syntax too! If you plan on having an alcoholic beverage or a sugary soda, reach for a tall glass of water first.
- Keep it simple. One of the biggest detours in a healthy lifestyle is decision making. This sounds silly, but we literally make hundreds of choices daily. By being prepared with your food, pre-cooking and pre-packing all of your meals ahead of time, you will save yourself the stress of trying to make a healthy choice when you find yourself in a bind. This will take a little organization, but realize, in time, it will pay off in dividends!!
- Leave the house prepared. This is SIMPLE! Pack a scoop of protein powder, your favorite homemade nutrition bar or even a handful of nuts or trail mix. This will buy time until your next meal if you find yourself in a pinch.