Christmas is by far my favourite time of the year. I love everything about the holidays – even the snow (no, I’m not crazy). What I don’t love though, is January 2nd, when all of the excitement is over and my body so graciously reminds me of all the food I ate. With Christmas comes parties, busy malls, family visits, possibly travel, and tons of food. Every year the million dollar question is always the same -“how do I get through the holidays without gaining weight or affecting my progress?”
You probably hear many people say something along the lines of “It’s okay – it’s the holidays!”. I can’t say that I completely disagree with this statement. I would be disappointed if I found out one of my clients missed a Christmas event out of fear of falling off the rails. I don’t, however, agree with the notion that you can throw all caution to the wind for the month of December and completely neglect the goals you’ve been working so hard towards.
Here’s a fun little fact for you – you can start losing strength gains in as little as 2-3 weeks. That being said, I do understand how hectic the holidays can be. If trying to come to the gym adds to your stress levels then it might be counterintuitive- we want you to get the most out of your time here with us!
So, how exactly are you going to get through the Holidays? Maybe you’re someone who’s already started their training program. Or you may be someone who’s thinking you have to wait until after the holidays to start chipping away at your fitness goals. Either way, I’ve got some strategies that might help get you through the holidays without the food comas, muscle loss and weight gain.
1) Plan Ahead
Usually parties are scheduled well in advance. If you know you have a holiday party to go to, try to make a point to eat well every other day of the week. The key over the holidays is to not let your body get into a pattern of unhealthy eating. If you try to treat the holidays like any normal week, then you’re limiting poor eating to one or two days. If you allow yourself to indulge too often your body will start to crave those sugary foods again and it will be hard to break that pattern. Think of the first time you had to do it – do withdrawal headaches ring a bell?
There may be weeks where you have more than two holiday parties to attend. In these cases it will be important to refer to number 3 on this list.
2) Try to Keep a Routine
I know some of you are thinking this is impossible because of the nature of the holidays. I understand that you can quite easily be pulled in many directions making it hard to keep things in order. Making the attempt to keep your schedule as close to normal as you can will help ease the transition back into your regular routine after the holidays. Sticking to your normal routine might also help you say “no” to indulging too much.
3) Practice Portion Control – Avoid Overindulging
Never arrive to the party hungry. Next thing you know you’ll be getting funny looks from the people around you because the tray of cookies will be on your lap half-eaten. Try to implement a system to keep track of how many treats you’re grabbing from the table. After dinner, wait 20 minutes before making the decision to grab seconds – this will allow your stomach the time to send the signal to your bran that you’re actually full. To help with snacking, try introducing fibre into your diet. This will help to keep you feeling full longer and it will keep you away from snacking.
4) Get Moving
Given the nature of the holidays, it may not be possible to commit to going to the gym as regularly as you usually do. In keeping with strategy number 2, I always recommend that you try to keep the gym in your schedule for the sake of routine. If actually going to the gym isn’t conducive to your schedule, try to set aside some time at home for activity. This will keep you from losing your gains and it will make transition back into your normal schedule much easier. If you’re working with a personal trainer, ask them to put something that you can do at home together for you. That’s what we’re here for! Do yourself a favour and don’t go the duration of the holidays without exercise. Don’t have a personal trainer? Consider giving yourself the gift of wellness! Check out our 2015 Christmas Tune-Up Promotion here.
All the Sandbox Fitness personal trainers wants to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
