Getting in shape is difficult, but staying in shape is also a demanding task, especially during the holiday season when everything around you is luring you to indulge in sweets and lazy days. It seems so impossible that it is better to give up now, right? Wrong! You should not give up without a fight. It is still possible to enjoy the holidays while keeping a close eye on your figure.
There are many ways to accomplish that with proper diet (avoid these 4 diet mistakes) and exercising. We will give you a few tips how to do that and go through the whole season without the annoying guilt caused by a few extra pounds.
Eating
The biggest temptation during holidays is the delicious food served on the table. To navigate the holiday minefield and keep your, otherwise, healthy diet intact, you will have to have a strategy. First, never go hungry to a holiday party, eat a healthy meal at home and you will easily resist all the yummy treats. You can also bring your own food and snacks (opt for a nice tasty mixture of nuts, for instance).
It would be helpful to keep track on your diet (avoid these 4 diet mistakes) by writing down what you ate and when. Create an illusion of full portion by using smaller plates. Swap some of the unhealthiest dishes with healthy alternatives. Here are some examples.
- Whole-wheat rolls instead of white flour rolls
- Cider instead of eggnog
- Fresh green beans instead of casserole
- Low fat gravy instead of the traditional gravy
- White meat turkey instead of dark meat
- Roasted sweet potatoes instead of candied yams
- Yogurt dips instead of full-fat dips
- Homemade stuffing instead of store-bought
- Cranberry relish instead of cranberry sauce
- Pumpkin pie instead of pecan pie
- Wine spritzer instead of other alcoholic beverages
Exercising
If you think that holidays are the time when you can cheat on your exercise routine, think again. You need it then more than ever before, because probably you will make some sins when it comes to food and you cannot afford to do the same with exercising. You can make excuses that you do not have enough time, but there is always an opportunity to squeeze in a workout. Here are some things you can always find time for.
- Cycling is a fun healthy and low impact form of exercise which easy to fit in your daily routine. If the weather does not allow you to engage in this activity you can always enroll spin classes or if you live in the warmer climate like me, enjoy all the benefits of cycling with electric bikes.
- Team sports are great holiday recreation because you can use them to spend pleasant time with your friends while getting rid of the annoying calories. So the next time when your friends invite you for drink and snacks, suggest playing basketball or, why not, even a snowball fight.
- Did you know that something as enjoyable as 60 minutes of dancing can burn up to 700 calories? So grab your best friend and strictly come dancing.
- Something you do each day can contribute to staying fit during these days of temptation – walking. A brisk 30 minute walk can burn around 200 calories and make those pork chops, you ate for lunch, disappear. Use this fact to your advantage and walk wherever you can go on foot, whether we are talking about the mall or your friend’s house. Use the stairs in buildings and avoid taking the elevator.
With holiday get-togethers, gift-shopping, cooking, hosting and entertaining, it is difficult to find time to exercise and character not to taste all the dishes. Difficult does not meet impossible, though. Invest a bit effort into staying fit and you will not regret it.
Roxana is a Sydney based travel enthusiast with a passion for writing. She loves fashion and has an eye for anything visually appealing and aesthetically. She is all about the healthy lifestyle, loves to run with her husband and dogs and has fun cooking exotic meals for her family. You can find her articles on HighStyleLife and StyleByAsia.
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