Staying Healthy while

Surviving the Holidays

Laura S. O’Brian, MS, CEP, CPT and Certified Personal Trainer

Fitness Design for Woman

 

The holidays are upon us and so is the excuse to take an exercise vacation and indulge on high calorie foods.   The average American gains about 10 pounds from November 1-January 1^st.  

 

How can we avoid fitting into the weight gaining statistic and actually survive the holidays?

 

Stick With Your Fitness Program

First off, aim to stay on your fitness program over the holidays.   It’s often said “Fail to plan and you plan to fail”.   Most women fail to plan.   We spend a lot of time cooking, preparing and shopping.   We expect to overeat, not exercise and often we simply don’t even try to control ourselves.  

 

This year, don’t give into the holiday expectations.   Instead, make a plan.   Without a plan, you won’t show up at the gym and you will eat mindlessly.  

 

Preplan your workouts.   We make appointments for everything else, so pencil yourself 3-4 workouts a week and stick to it.   Workouts don’t have to be long.   Make a goal for yourself to burn about 1200-1500 calories per week.   Depending on how hard you work, you could be finished in 30-40 minutes.   A good workout will make you feel better about yourself and energize you to finish those Christmas lists.

 

The Choice is Yours

The key to successful weight maintenance or weight loss is consistency.   Try to maintain a consistent eating habit this holiday season. Our metabolic engines respond well to five to six small meals per day.    Plan your party meals around your normal meals.   Don’t use it as an excuse to over-indulge.   Either eat a small meal before you go or keep the party food to a minimum.  

 

Tables will be full of chips, dips and sweets.   There will also be tables full of fruits, raw vegetables and cheeses.   At the end of the day, the choice is yours.   Too many calories in your body gets stored as fat.   However, if you keep it in moderation and continue to workout, then it probably won’t end up around your waistline.  

 

If we’re eating, then we probably need a drink, right?   Did you know that one serving of wine is actually just 4 ounces?   Many of us over drink our calories every day.   The punch, sodas and alcoholic beverages can pack on weight quickly.   Try to stay within or close to the suggested serving size.   After that, opt for water or water with lemon.   It’s calorie free and will help you stay away from the food table by making you feel full.

 

Form an Alliance

Another helpful hint is to recruit a friend to keep you accountable.   Surely, you have a friend who wants to avoid the 10 pound expansion this year.   Form an alliance where you either workout together or check up on each other.  

 

We tend to stick to something a little better if we are accountable to someone else.   It’ll be fun and you may even lose a few pounds before 2010.    

 

No matter where you are, you always have choices!   Try to choose your food wisely, mixing in some rewarding treats so you don’t feel deprived.   Make an eating plan before the party.   Visit the food table only once and don’t beat yourself up if you’ve fallen off of the wagon.   Tomorrow is a new day; the perfect day to start the new you.