It’s the holiday season which means turkey, cookies, candy, and parties. With all of this going on it’s the most difficult time of the year to stay healthy. What’s the point of eating healthy anyways, its winter and no one will see the damage for a few months right? Not if you have an all inclusive vacation planned for the spring. Here’s a few tips to maintain the waistline over the holidays.
Everything in Moderation
Those Christmas cookies and candy canes can add up over the course of a few weeks. It is impossible to avoid chocolate but the important thing to remember is to not binge. A couple chocolates or a few desserts won’t hurt, but constantly snacking on gummy bears or whatever else fills your stockings can take its toll.
Maintain a Workout Routine
This is probably the most important factor in avoiding holiday weight gain. It’s easy to fall into the treacherous routine of going to parties and overeating then not have time for exercise. Make sure to schedule your workouts around your social calendar to ensure training doesn’t get left out of the mix. Maybe even schedule in an extra workout or two so you don’t feel guilty when eating that extra helping of dessert. Try combining some exercise with family activities. Take a walk together after a big meal and enjoy the outdoors. A couple other great winter activities are cross country skiing, ice skating, and pond hockey. You won’t even realize its exercise.
Alcohol
This can also go under the ‘moderation’ tab. Calories from alcohol pile up fast, especially with certain holiday drinks. Egg nog is one of the most delicious yet calorie dense holiday drinks so enjoy it in moderation.
These are just a few general guidelines to staying fit during the holidays. At the end of the day, it’s always difficult to come out of the winter season at the same weight you started. At least some exercise and some moderation can limit the weight you gain to an amount that’s easy to get back. This is even more important if you have that all inclusive vacation waiting for you in January.