Holidays - Fitness Tips On How To Avoid Gaining Weight During The Holiday Season

Fitness Tips On How To Avoid Gaining Weight During The Holiday Season

This holiday season don't be trendy ? avoid the Seasonal Seven (the average weight most Americans gain between Thanksgiving and New Year's). That's one trend you don't want to participate in!

I know what you are thinking ? the holidays are a time for fun and indulgence. You don't want to think about fitness during that time. You want to enjoy yourself. Okay, before you accuse me of being the Grinch, you should know that I completely agree. The festivities don't have to be eliminated or avoided, because you can have a fabulous time while also maintaining your weight and your fitness regimen.

The secret to achieving a holiday season that is both full of fun and also includes fitness is found in moderation. There are two typical approaches to the seasonal festivities: 1) throw all healthy habits out the window and indulge in every guilty pleasure 2) starve and binge approach (for example, you eat nothing all day long to allow yourself to overindulge in party food). Of course, neither approach is successful at maintaining a healthy, fit lifestyle throughout the holiday season.

As I mentioned above, the key is found in moderation. With a moderate approach both to what you eat (or don't eat) and how much exercise you do (or don't do), you can avoid packing on extra weight AND also partake in all the fun of the season. So this season, get a head start on the New Year instead of starting January with extra pounds to lose.

Here are some tips to help you:

Create a plan ahead of time. Before the holidays sneak up on you, create a plan for incorporating fitness and good nutrition into your daily routine. Evaluate your holiday and then determine how much time you will realistically have available to devote to working out and/or eating healthy meals.

Don't put your fitness goals on hold until the New Year. If you can't exercise as often during this time period as you normally do, adjust appropriately. Don't use the excuse that since you don't have time for your full workout you just won't workout at all. Instead accept your limited availability and simply reduce the frequency and/or duration of your exercise. It's much better to cut your fitness time in half than to completely eliminate it.

On the day of a party, be sure to eat regularly all day long. If the party is in the evening, eat breakfast, lunch and a snack before hand (just as you would on any other day). Once you are at the party, go ahead and indulge in some of the fun, delicious foods. Since you have eaten meals earlier in the day, you probably will find that you aren't tempted to go overboard and eat everything in sight. However, if you starve all day long attempting to save up all your calories for the party, you will be so famished by the time it begins that it will be difficult not to overeat.

Schedule your workouts. Mark them on the calendar and set-aside time to complete them. Consider them as important as any other appointment or event you have marked on your calendar.

When at a party, start by eating some of the healthy offerings. For example, vegetable sticks (without dip), fruit pieces, plain chicken pieces, etc. Then move on to some of the less healthy (but yummy) offerings. You will be less likely to overindulge on these foods if you have already filled-up on some of the healthier items. Yet, you will not feel deprived or unsatisfied.

On days that you really lack motivation or simply do not have time for your complete exercise routine, commit to do just 10 minutes of exercise. You'll probably end up doing more than that once you get started. Even if you only end up completing 10 minutes, that is still a lot better than zero minutes.

When presented with a large variety of food options, it's tempting to want to eat everything. Rather than eating one large slice of chocolate cake or a huge plate of meatballs, select a sampling of bite size pieces of several of the desert or appetizer offerings. This way you get the enjoyment of trying many different foods without overeating.

Exercise at home. You'll be more inclined to follow-through on your exercise commitment if you don't have to drive somewhere to do your workout. Plus, you won't waste any time on driving, parking, the locker room or waiting to use equipment. Working out at home requires very little equipment (even can be equipment-free) and is quite inexpensive.

Avoid wasting calories on alcoholic beverages. The average alcoholic drink contains 150-200 calories per glass. Indulge in just 2-3 drinks and you've drunk the equivalent calories of an entire meal. If you partake in these beverages, choose wisely. For example, instead of having a full glass of wine, try mixing half a glass of wine with sparkling water or with a diet cola. This will help cut your calories in half.

When running errands or shopping, be sure to pack some healthy snacks to have on-hand. Then after you work-up a big appetite, you won't be tempted to grab something at the mall food court or the fast food restaurant on the way home.

I hope these tips will help you find a balance between staying fit and also enjoying the fun of the season. For additional fitness tips, visit www.workoutsforyou.com. Remember, moderation is the key. Have a great holiday season!

About The Author

Lynn Bode is owner of http://www.workoutsforyou.com an Online Personal Fitness Training company. Workouts For You offers online exercise programs for weight loss, strength training, nutritional planning and race training. Personalized programs can be designed for all fitness levels.

The programs are customized to meet your individual needs and lifestyle (based on the extensive profile you provide when enrolling) and include a motivational accountability system and a huge library of exercise technique demos. You receive all the trainer benefits without the expensive price, and you can workout wherever and whenever you want.

To receive a FREE, no-obligation fitness evaluation, visit us at www.workoutsforyou.com. Need a quick gift --we provide gift certificate delivery within 24 hours of purchase.

info@workoutsforyou.com

Car Insurance Rates | Dental Insurance | Health Insurance | Home Owner Insurance | Life Insurance Quote

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |

The History And Origin Of Valentines Day
The oldest Valentine card still in existence was sent in 1415 by Charles Duke of Orleans, at the time a prisoner in the Tower of London, to his ...(related: Holidays)

Giving Thanks
Can you believe that Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away? What does Thanksgiving mean to you? For many of us it means turkey, dressing, pies and all the other goodies that go along with it. It also means family. But what else does it mean?There is a child's prayer that I used to say when I was little that goes:Thank you for the world so sweet,Thank you for the food we eat,Than...(related: Holidays)

The Only Way To Turn New Year Resolutions Into Reality!
So you ate, drank and spent too much over the Holidays. Now you are overweight, bloated, tired and broke, and you are promising yourself that you are g...(related: Holidays)

Online Shopping: Tips For Holidays Gift Shopping
It is holidays time, and you've the money and you want to go out and begin online shopping.But before you do, here are some tips to manage your onlineshopping and expenses.(1) Before going out get organized.Make a list of all the people that you plan to buy a gift for, and what kind of gift you want to get for each.(2) Set Limits on how to spendFor each name on your list, decide on how much to spend and the add all up to know the total amount you wish to spend, and stick to it.(3) Shop early.Don't wait until the last minute to start shopping. Many discount and holidays special are available early in the shopping seasons. Ship your g...(related: Holidays)

Thanksgiving
I was not planning to write this article. Instead, I was going to publish an article about integrity. It has been on my mind this last week and I was planning to share some thoughts about it. Then, I received an email from Jim Donovan, one of the regular contributors to my Prosperity Paradigm eZine, and it inspired me to write once again about the magical power of gratitude.Yes, the magical power.Before I talk about the magic of gratitude, I want to talk about its opposite. Not the lack, not ingratitude; but resentfulness.Powerful emotions attached to specific ...(related: Holidays)

Animatronic Halloween Props - Cardboard Carpentry
One of the most inexpensive ways to create stonewalls in your home/haunt is by using good-'ol cardboard boxes. Boxes laid flat and painted to the desired effect are relatively easy and cheap methods of creating stonewall effects.The availability of the material is stunning. In fact, most people and businesses are more than willing to give up large, bulky cardboard boxes taking up precious space. It's incredibly lightweight and the amount of cardboard to re-do an average bedroom can be hefted by one person.Another plus is that if your cache of cardboard is destroyed???.SO WHAT? More is always available, and except for painting time and material, free seems incredibly cost effective.Cardboard is not only for just good for covering walls,...(related: Holidays)

Valentines Day - A Guide For Men
Did you know that after Christmas, Valentine's Day is the biggest retail holiday? That means a variety of things for you the consumer, but mostly it means the market is saturated with a plethora of heart-shaped, cutesy, not so worth it products. I have a philosophy?one that is not always popular?but here it goes. If you love someone, then saying "I love you" is a full time job, not one accomplished by dime store shrink-wrapped chocolates and plush toys holding bags of candy hearts.Don't get me wrong. These things were great when we were 10, but we are adults now so here are a few ways t...(related: Holidays)

Christmas Gifts For Bird Lovers
Choosing gifts for any animal lovers can be quite a pleasure, as it is often a gift that is shared by the recipient with her animal friends or pets. This is especially so with bird lover gifts. People who really love birds tend to want them to enhance their gardens, to encourage real wild birds to visit...(related: Holidays)

Celebrating The Me In Mumme
Another Mother's Day is upon us. A day in which our loved ones bestow us with handmade gifts, breakfast in bed, supper out and sometimes even jewelry!!! It is a day for our family to show how much they appreciate the job we do.I remember after my first child was born, I developed this deep respect for other mothers and immediately felt connected to all of them. I felt a bond that only strengthened the further into motherhood I went.So on this very special weekend, I want to honor, not only my own mother, but all mothers. You hold a very special place in my heart and I know first hand the challenges and rewards that we experience on a daily basis. Motherhood is several professions rolled up in to one; nurse, teacher, housekeeper, referee, cook, manager and many more. The pay...(related: Holidays)