While we anticipate the holiday season each year, we never expect to gain the weight that we do. We think about our caloric intake and cannot seem to figure out exactly where all of our extra calories were collected.
We have to eat, right? What we don’t calculate is the added ingredients in all of our holiday snacks and meals. On Thanksgiving Day alone Americans consumer over double their daily intake. And because most Americans do not regularly exercise, the weight accumulates over time.
By the time New Years roles around, there is an extra five or ten pounds around the waste and hips. If you are ready to make a change in your holiday eating and workout habits, here are a few tips to help you get started.
First of all, balance. Balance is everything. You should not eat more than you can burn. Eat healthy and burn calories through exercising. Exercising is one of the most important factors of living a healthy lifestyle. It is not always easy and there will be days where you have to push yourself when you just want to sit down and relax. But, the dedication to exercising always pays off.
Not only do you see the results in your physique, but you experience incredible health benefits. Keep off holiday weight by making time to workout. Use your planner, write out a schedule, and set aside anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours at least three to five days a week to exercise.
During your exercise time, incorporate cardiovascular exercises, such as walking, running, cycling, and using the elliptical. Once you’ve completed your cardio segment, move on to weights. Alternate days between working out your legs and your arms. Include shoulder, chest, and abdominal exercises.
When you have a designated plan, it is much easier to stay on task. In addition, find a workout buddy. Working out alone may be an excuse to avoid accountability. Find someone who you trust and can count on. Keep each other accountable and push each other during your workout sessions. Help each other to eat healthy foods during the holiday season and avoid junk food and appetizers you don’t need. Take a class together. Run outside together. Whatever you can find in common, do it and stay active.
Finally, you need to maintain. Portion control is a huge factor for obesity. While eating a handful of green and red M&M’s isn’t going to affect you incredibly, eating an entire bag of them will. If you are a grazer, snacker, or emotional eater, make conscious decisions to avoid the kitchen when you are not hungry.
However, do not avoid eating throughout the day. It is better for you to eat several smaller meals as opposed to three large meals a day. Nuts, raisins, fruit, vegetables, whole-wheat crackers, and yogurt are several examples of foods that are good for you to munch on when you get hungry.
