Helpful Tips for the Holidays
The holiday season is here
and we must all decide whether to feast on traditional holiday meals and deserts or prepare healthier non-traditional versions of our family favorites. Having lived a moderate lifestyle and eaten moderately all year long, the choice is easy for me. Bring on tradition! Yes, this includes all the yummy side dishes, cookies, fudge, pastries and candies in addition to the ham, turkey, hot cross buns and festive drinks like hot chocolate, eggnog and hot butter rum! Oh, my… is your mouth watering too?
The holidays are for being thankful and celebrating with family and friends while feasting at festive diners, banquets, parties and quaint gatherings. If you prefer healthier versions of your family’s favorites, there are plenty of online resources and cookbooks available. Chances are even if you choose to serve healthier versions at your house, what to do when you’re invited to someone else’s home or event?
The smart thing to do is to eat clean and healthy the rest of the week so that you can enjoy and take part in the festivities and food fest without the guilt, worry or stress. Most of you have a cheat meal built into your weekly meal plan, so plan accordingly and use it for that special office party or holiday gathering.
Worried about the extra pounds you might put on? It's
a good idea to stay active and continue your workout program straight through the holidays without missing a day too. Oftentimes we are so busy running errands, shopping, attending the holiday parties and gatherings that we neglect our fitness routine. When in fact we need to stay on track now more than ever to keep our energy and metabolism levels high, help us burn those extra calories and to eliminate holiday induced stress or depression. Easier said than done? Consider doing your errands in your sweats and tennis shoes. When planning your day add GYM to your To Do list and get your weight lifting or cardio in between shopping, gift wrapping and baking (uh oh baking… are we talking about food again?).
Let’s put it this way… most holiday weight gain is because we increase our calories, but we don’t increase our exercise activities (most people actually decrease their exercise activities). If you are going to increase your calories over the holidays then for goodness sake, don’t skip the gym! In fact you might even want to up your gym time or exercise activities.
Here are 12 tips to help keep you on track through the holidays:
1. Don’t s
kip the gym
2. Stick to your meal plan or diet for the most part
3. Think portion control
4. Be strategic with your weekly cheat meal
5. Pack your own healthy lunch for work
6. Stay hydrated – drink water
7. Drink more water
8. Up your cardio regimen
9. Make healthier versions of traditional holiday foods & drinks
10. Add GYM to your To Do holiday list
11. Don’t stress, gift yourself a massage
12. Relax and enjoy the festivities!
I wish all our readers a very happy holiday season! I am looking forward to the New Year and connecting with you! Cheers!
Dawn Fernandez is an IFBB professional figure athlete, public speaker, workshop facilitator and fitness model. She can be reached at [email protected] and found online at:
http://www.facebook.com/dawnfernandezpro
http://www.twitter.com/dawnfernandezaz
http://instagram.com/dawnfernandezaz
Subscribe to RxMuscle on Youtube
