You spent the last 10 months trying to eat right (at least most of the time) and made your training sessions. Now here comes the Holidays. The average person gains 7-10 pounds during the holiday season. There’s a lot of temptation and not always the best food choices are made. Here are 6 ways to help you stay on track as you party your way through the next month and a half!
#1 Eat Breakfast
You’ve probably been hearing that breakfast is the most important meal of the day since you were a kid in school. This especially goes during the holidays or on big “eating” days, like Thanksgiving and Christmas. People often think, “I’ll just skip breakfast and lunch and save my calories for dinner.” Except this isn’t actually what ends up occurring. What usually happens is it causes people to consume MORE later in the day. My advice is to eat something earlier in the day. Getting a good protein source in would be ideal.
#2 Drink Enough Water
Stay hydrated! I cannot stress this enough, no matter what time of the year it is. Aim to consume AT LEAST half your body weight in water. Staying hydrated also keeps you feeling fuller, longer, and less likely to reach for junk food. When reaching for alcohol, do so wisely. Perhaps mix a bit of seltzer water with your red wine.
#3 Don’t Inhale Your Food
When you get to your holiday parties, remember to eat SLOWLY to SATISFIED instead of STUFFED like that Thanksgiving turkey. It takes your digestive system 15-20 minutes to let your brain know you’re satisfied. Slowing down, gives it time for this to register to you before you over-eat. Also, when you slow down and take the time to savor your food, instead of just inhaling it, you feel more content with less. You’ll ultimately end up eating LESS but enjoy what you’ve consumed MORE.
#4 Make Better Food Choices
When choosing between more of grandma’s cookies and the cheese tray, choose fats over sweets. The saturated fat in the cheese will fill you up faster.
#5 Try Not To Miss Your Training Sessions
Don’t miss your training sessions. Think of this as your non-negotiable time. Even if it’s 1x per week.
#6 Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself
Last but not least, forgiveness. If you “screwup”, be kind to yourself. What not to do? Think, you messed up, and binge or quit. Forgive yourself and get back on track.
Enjoy the Holiday season but don’t forget how hard you worked this year!!!!
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