The Holiday Season is all about fun, family and great food, but if you’re serious about your workouts and proper nutrition, it can be a time for setbacks and weight gain. Temptation lurks on every buffet table in the form of favorites like creamy eggnog, home- made cookies, and salty meats and cheeses. As holiday chores multiply you find it harder to get to the gym.
The reality is that you aren’t a hapless victim to this holiday hoopla! Here are six easy steps that will help you to eat healthy and keep you fit, fierce and festive all through the holidays.
- Moderation and portion control – Food is more plentiful during the holidays. Find a happy balance that suits your dietary needs and body building goals. Take time to measure out your portions. A little of this, a little of that, and that’s enough. Slow down how you eat. Chew your food. Don’t give into family and friends who encourage you to drink more and gorge needlessly!
- Eat before you go to dinner – Many people overemphasize the communal activity of eating over enjoying the company of friends. Focus on social activity when you are at a gathering instead of hovering over the buffet table. Eat a good- sized body building meal before you go out so that you aren’t hungry and tempted to pig-out on fattening foods.
- Plan your food according to your fitness goals – If you’re thinking about putting on some muscle in 2020 you might consider using the season between Thanksgiving and New Years to bulk up. I don’t mean that you should eat indiscriminately; instead, you can load up on all the lean protein (turkey, fish and beef) you like. Protein helps you feel fuller quicker and your body expends more calories to digest it. Keeping yourself full of body building foods will help you stay focused when faced with fruitcake and pecan pie
- Load up on vegetables – Many people do not eat enough raw fruit and vegetables to begin with, but almost every holiday buffet table has a tray of these life-savers front and center. Heap your plate with veggies and fruit and you’ll get plenty of good fiber and vitamins.
- Eat more frequently – Yes, eating several smaller meals more frequently helps you burn more calories in the process. If these meals consist of low fat, high protein foods like chicken, tuna, hard boiled eggs, tofu, yogurt, and whole grains you will feel fuller, more satisfied and less likely to binge on sugary, fatty holiday food.
- Pro-active food preparation – If you’re hosting a party make sure that you provide a healthy array of foods that you can enjoy guilt-free. If you are going to a party, bring a vegetable tray or a healthy casserole. That way you will know that there’ll be something healthy for you to eat and your host will think that you are a caring and generous person.
