Holiday Workout and Eating Tips

Even though I am in the midst of redesigning my blog I still need to get out some helpful tips to you today.

The holiday madness is in full swing and if you aren’t careful you could really slip up this time of year.

I thought I would share with you the strategies I use with my clients for the holidays.

Workout Tips

1. Stay dedicated to your workout routine! – With the hustle and bustle, last minute shopping, and other obligations it is very easy to skip the gym this week. DON’T DO IT! Get in there and get it done. Make it a priority and set aside time to workout. We all need to burn a few extra calories this week so don’t make it worse by skipping the gym.
2. Use Full Body Workouts – Get more bang for your buck and use Full Body workouts this week. Train the big muscles first and work your way down to the smaller ones.
3. Use circuit training to maximize your effort – I train my clients using “circuits” of exercise. This keeps the heart rate up and keeps you burning far more calories than a traditional slow pace workout.

Eating Tips

1. Stay on your nutrition plan – stick as closely as possible to the nutrition plan that you follow everyday. Eat frequently and keep your protein/carb/fat ratios in check. DON’T SKIP MEALS!
2. Eat just before attending your holiday events – Just before you attend any holiday event where there will be tempting foods make sure you eat (or drink a protein shake) just before the event. This will keep you full and reduce your hunger level. DON”T GO TO A HOLIDAY PARTY HUNGRY!
3. Reduce your carb intake for a few days prior to the holidays – We use this strategy to reduce to damage from the extra calories that WE ALL tend to consume during this week. I tell my clients to reduce CARB calories for a few days prior to the holidays. This way any CARBS (usually cookies, cakes, etc. this week :0) will in essence just replace the calories we have taken out. I understand the calories are not the same quality (simple vs. complex) but it does help!DON’T OVERDUE YOUR CARBS ALL WEEK LONG!
4. Reduce your carb intake AFTER your events as well – directly after the holidays I also recommend that my clients keep their CARB calories low for a few days. This helps level them back out and gives them some sort of structure to follow.
5. Don’t keep leftovers around the house – Get rid of the leftovers! Don’t keep the leftover cookies, cakes, and holiday treats in the house once you are done. It is way too tempting!
6. Get back on your eating plan after the holidays – Once your holiday events are over get right back on your plan. Most people turn the holidays into an all out over eating fest! Make it a point to get right back on your diet after the holiday madness is done!

Enjoy your holidays but don’t let it turn into something you regret next week. The New Year is right around the corner so start off with a good plan and hit the ground running!

Amber

Do you any holiday eating tips that have helped you out in the past?