Somebody pinch me!! I don't know about you, but I blinked and November passed me by. Recovering from my candy coma was my first step; YES, I indulged on Halloween,who didn't?!
Then came planning my family pictures (I'm not a fashionista so this takes many hours); prepping for a feast, and relatives arriving and enjoying their visit during Thanksgiving. Lastly combined with exhaustion from many shopping hours but scoring awesome deals on my first black friday experience, just like that it's December!
In the midst of "normal" life: kids schedules, chores and extra holiday festivities, I am leading an accountability group to help other's reach new goals in their health and fitness and let's not forget, to help MYSELF stay on track! I want to ENJOY the holidays but maintain the results I have worked my butt off for all year long!
So this got my brain buzzing on how I won't be sabotaging myself this year! Let's face it, "Tis' the season," and it can be stressful, every party is oozing with cookies, candy canes, carbs, and concoctions ready for us to leave a button undone that next morning wishing we could keep our pajama pants on. Noone wants that so here are my survival tips for you (AND ME)!
Indulge without Overindulging: Relax, and stick to healthy meals! Meal plan and prep at the beginning of the week so on those late nights, you have a healthy breakfast/lunch ready the next day!
Do not skip meals!! You might be thinking "I'm saving calories for later," eh no, you're only confusing your body to save those for the next time you decide to skip a meal-Eeek!! Also, this will probably just leave you starving and then pigging out later.
If your family is on a different schedule adjust your meals to be smaller and more frequent inbetween their large meals so you do not 'starve.'
While you fill your plate, choose more of the healthy options, and don't bother with the the items you don't absolutely love, save the splurge for your favorite dessert instead of all ten! ;)
Last but not least, if you DO over eat at the chocolate fountain, don't throw in the towel and head for the cake table, take back control!
is why I workout at home, BUT if the day goes on and you can't get that workout in, have a dance party with your kids, bundle up and walk the street to view some Christmas lights, or do some extra cleaning, it all burns calories!
Drink Lots of Water: Being hydrated is vital for our bodies to operate properly. Every single cell in our body needs water to function properly! Drinking water can help you lose and manage your weight. Sip on a calorie free sparkling Perrier, or unsweetened sparkling water!
Beware of the Bubbly: I don't want to sound like your mother, buuut drink responsibly!
We won't even bring up the amount of calories in alcoholic drinks, so stick to the ones on the rocks or use soda water as your mixer. You will sip slower and consume less in the long run.
Noone wants to wake up with a hangover. Worse than that, your body is metabolizing the alcohol instead of your food; your body changes the way it functions when you consume alcohol, making alcohol a priority since it is a toxin instead of the food you are eating.
Stop drinking a few hours before bed, YES you will fall asleep quicker but your body is still metabolizing the alcohol which causes disruptions in your restorative sleep! Enjoy a cocktail or two and remember to stay hydrated!
Lack of sleep impacts your hunger and fullness hormones. These two hormones, ghrelin which signals your brain it's time to eat is produced more when your sleep deprived; and leptin which tells you to put the fork down plummets from lack of sleep. I know I don't need to state the obvious here, but I will, get your Zzzzz's and make up for some of that sleep debt on the weekend!
Hope you are able to find some of these tips helpful during this busy time of year! Most importantly, remember to be safe, enjoy your family and friends and have a Happy Holiday!!
~Amanda~
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