Survive and Thrive through the Holiday’s!
When the Holiday’s approach do you look forward to spending
time with family & friends or do you fear that you will inevitable be
tempted to skip workouts for lack of rest and an overly full social
calendar? Not to mention all the office
treats that coworkers are bringing in and those incredible tasty Peppermint
Mocha Lattes that seem to be calling your name at 3PM daily! There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy
the tastes of the season and stay on track with your workouts. I listed out my favorite tips that help me
and my clients stay on track through the Holiday’s.
To avoid gaining weight and being able to enjoy time with
your family and friends, follow these simple strategies that will leave you
feeling ready to celebrate the New Year sans the diet!
1.
Schedule Your Workouts! When you actually schedule your workouts into
your calendar & treat them as a meeting, more than likely you will stick to
your plan. Remember workouts don’t have
to be in the gym, they can be anywhere!
Just do something active. Aim to
workout at least 3-4x’s/week for 30mins.
Meet up with a friend for a yoga class and then a green smoothie,
instead of cocktails & tapas.
2.
Get Plenty of Rest! Keep to your bedtime schedule the best that
you can. Studies have shown, that people
who get less than 6 hours of sleep consume 500 calories more than their fully
rested counterparts (7+ hours). Plus you won’t want to load yourself up with
caffeine and sugar to stay awake!
3.
Drink Plenty of Water. Keeping yourself hydrate not only keeps every
day ailments like fatigue, headaches and dry skin away, but it also helps to
regulate your appetite. Often times the
brain confuses being dehydrate or thirsty with hunger.
4.
Create A Party Strategy Plan. Such as using a small plate, not standing
near the hors d’oeuvres table, and most importantly don’t starve yourself prior
to the party! Eat a small meal about an
hour before going and you will not feel the need to devour that cheese &
cracker tray. A good pre-party snack; some
Greek yogurt, fresh berries and a tablespoon of honey. Research has shown that when we skip meals or
deprive ourselves throughout the day, we are more like to consume higher
caloric foods than if you ate normally throughout the day.
5.
Hit the Weights!
If you are short on time at the gym, opt to lift weights instead of hopping
on that piece of cardio equipment. We
know that the more muscle we have the more calories we will burn when our
bodies are at rest –that’s just good old fashion exercise science! Moderate to intense strength training
workouts elevate our metabolism and keep it elevated for up to 48hrs post
workout! That’s a lot more bang for your
buck.
6.
Keep Your “Trigger Foods” Out of the House. When you don’t have those trigger foods in
your home, you will be more successful in choosing the foods that will nourish
your body when it’s hungry.
7.
Limit Drinking Your Calories! Most of us don’t realize how many calories we
actually drink. There is over 350
calories in one glass of Eggnog, 410 calories in a 16oz Peppermint Mocha and
180 calories in a Sam Adams Boston Lager.
Opt for lighter versions of your favorite drink, go for the Sam Adams
Light with only 119 calories, ask your barista for a skinny peppermint mocha
with only 130 calories…or get the tall and save another 30 calories! You can also check out this recipe for a
lightened up version of Eggnog made with Almond Milk http://www.shakentogetherlife.com/2013/11/skinny-eggnog-recipe-using-almond-milk.html
8.
Focus on Socializing with Friends and
Family. I love the saying “Where focus
goes, energy flows.” Think about what
the Holiday’s really mean to you…there are no calories associated with good
conversation!
9.
Load Up on Veggies! Veggies are filling and contain a lot of
water and essential vitamins and minerals.
Every party generally has a veggie tray so make sure you are the one bringing
it!
No comments:
Post a Comment