The holidays are upon us— but for many, it is not just a time of presents, get-togethers with family and holiday parties— but weight gain. If you want to avoid the ‘festive five’ (or more), here’s how you can get through the holiday season without gaining weight!
Start Each Day Exercising (And You’ll Be Less Tempted to Nosh on the Office Cookies)
Candy bars and chips in the office vending machine may be tempting from time to time, but that’s nothing compared to what’s coming. Cookies, cake and holiday potluck lunches can cause even the most health-conscious person to overdo it with high calorie food— all day long!
No matter how much of a sweet tooth you have, starting your morning off with a high powered, fun workout can help you say ‘no’ to the high calorie sweets in your office. Take a CrossFit class, join your friends in spin class, or go ‘old school’ and do a workout that includes jumping jacks, push-ups and wall sits. As dedicated as you were during your morning exercise, you won’t want to sacrifice your workout for a few shortbread cookies.
Fill Up at Home Before Going to Your Holiday Parties
If you don’t want to gain weight, don’t deprive yourself! The mistake that so many people make is drastically reducing their calories all day so that they can over indulge at a party that evening. The problem is, by the time you get to the party, your body is in starvation mode. Whatever high calorie and high fat appetizers and desserts you eat, your body will store as much fat as possible.
Instead, fill up on high fiber and high protein foods throughout the day (as you would normally) and especially before you go out. That way you will be able to sanely pick and choose one indulgence, instead of being tempted to go overboard with several.
Get Extra Steps In Whenever You Can
Do you have a hectic week ahead of you that will prevent you from heading to the gym like usual? Instead of beating yourself up for it, bring short, effective workouts to you! Just fifteen minutes of jumping rope can burn up to 190 calories, and climbing stairs for twelve minutes can burn over 400 calories. Park in the furthest spot you can from the office and briskly walk into the building, take the stairs instead of the elevator and walk during your breaks.
The holiday season is a time to enjoy your loved ones— and it’s also a time for joyful indulging. No matter where you are this holiday season, prepare for high calorie food and decadent desserts by filling up on healthy food choices beforehand, and make your workouts fun!
