Fit Tip: Surviving Holiday Parties
Friday, December 8, 2017
Well the holiday season is in full swing! As much as we the opportunity to celebrate with friends and family, the holidays are a prime time to let your fitness goals slip. Here are some tips on how to enjoy the season WITHOUT derailing your success.
- Keep your home as a safe zone: Everywhere you go – parties, work, etc. – will be crawling with temptations; don’t rely on your willpower at home.
- Get out the calendar: Get out your calendar and take a look at your upcoming feasts and parties are that you want to indulge yourself at. Save your treats for those occasions, and eat right the rest of the time. If you have a plan for indulgence, it’s so much easier to keep everything straight and resist everything else. Schedule your workouts ahead of time too!
- Stay healthy: Getting sick is not only not fun, it can easily derail people from their good habits. We have plenty of tips on surviving flu season here, but the most important things to remember are this – take vitamin-D every day, get at least 6 hours of sleep per night, eat less sugar and other refined carbs because they suppress your immune system, and try to smile and laugh a few times a day. Stress isn’t great for your immune system and laughter releases it.
- Keep track: We all have a pair of pants (or other item of clothing) that lets us know if we are packing on the pounds of fat or not. Many people like to hide the truth-telling jeans in the closet come holiday season. Do the opposite. If you can, wear them once a week. It’s great feedback. These jeans represent the bottom line; you want them to fit the same on New Year’s Day as they did pre-Thanksgiving.
- Pregame: No, we’re not talking about getting tipsy before a party, especially if you’re driving. I’m talking about having a protein based snack – turkey, hard boiled eggs, etc. – before a feast or a party so your appetite doesn’t get the best of you. Protein in your stomach will help you make smarter decisions throughout the night, instead of impulsively eating the entire bowl of chips and guac.