Well December is upon us and I am already seeing a decrease in members coming to group classes and more personal training sessions being cancelled.  Sure people get sick, sure it’s a time to spend more time with family and friends, sure holiday parties seem to be held every night of the week; however, it is very important to not let all of your hard work throughout the year go to waste by blowing it all in December.  I am a firm believer in enjoying the holidays and all the fun times and good food it has to offer, but I am also someone who preaches moderation and healthy balance. This means finding a happy balance between still eating clean when you can and still getting workouts in, but still enjoying holiday food, drinks, and fun!

I care about all my soldiers and I don’t want to see all of our amazing results and hard work over the year slip away in just one month, so here are my 5 tips to prevent unwanted holiday weight gain:

1. Get with the mindset that even a little workout is better than no workout

Everyone is busy this time of year, but I have never understood the mindset of “oh well i’ll just let myself go and get back to it in January”?? Why would you want to do that? This is the time of year you see all your family and friends, you have been working hard all year to not only look, but feel your best and then you are just going to let it all go for a whole month?  If you embrace the mind set of “a little bit is better than nothing” you will more likely be able to get some workouts in and prevent unwanted holiday weight gain.  You don’t have to break a crazy sweat or workout for a whole hour to be effective, many of my workouts don’t cause me to sweat and are only 30-40 minutes long, but they are still highly effective!  It’s cold and flu season so keeping up with your healthy eating and exercise is also important to stay healthy, no one wants to get sick for Christmas!

2. Get out of bed earlier if you have to

If you know you have holiday parties and events after work, or you know you are going to be busy with the kids or holiday shopping, get your butt out of bed an hour earlier to get your workout in.  TRUST ME as much as it sucks to get out of your warm bed, both your body and your mind will thank you for it!  Even if this means a quick living room workout before you shower, this little bit of physical activity will help.  If you haven’t had time to do any meal prep or pack your snacks and lunches for work, get up half an hour earlier and pack your healthy food, it’s these little habits that will go a long way to prevent unnecessary holiday weight gain.

3. Choose your cheats wisely

I am all about healthy balance when it comes to food.  I enjoy a Starbucks cranberry bliss bar as much as the next person; however, it is also important to find a healthy balance between eating healthy and eating “not-so healthy”.  Plan your cheats for the week in advance, for example, if you know you are going out for dinner or have holiday parties on certain days/nights of the week make sure you plan to eat healthy at all other times of the day.  Do not starve yourself for the day leading up to a big dinner party, just eat healthy and drink lot’s of water so you are not starving when you get the party, this will keep you from overrating.

4. Stay hydrated

Drink lot’s of water! First of all we all know the holidays involve more social events, which usually includes more alcoholic beverages which can greatly dehydrate the body.  Keeping hydrated by drinking lot’s of water throughout the day will help keep your metabolism boosted, help ward off cravings, and also decrease the amount of damage done after a long night of celebrating the holidays.  Carry a water bottle everywhere you go, even christmas shopping at the mall!  We are all busy over the holidays and usually healthy eating and hydration tends to go out the window, CLICK HERE to read more about how to stay hydrated over the winter.

5. Stay away from all the baked goods and candies at the office

If you are like me, once you have one of those little chocolates it opens the flood gates and before you know it you have subconsciously inhaled 10!  I find the best strategy for me is to just not touch the stuff!  For example, if you know you are going to be in your office all day and their is a bowl of chocolate covered almonds sitting on the lunch room table, avoid it like the plague! Sure having one or two is OK, but let’s be honest, who can eat only one or two? Starting in on those bad boys early in the day could be detrimental because you then either have to fight the urge for more for 7 more hours, or you will inhale the whole bowl over the rest of your work shift.  Bring healthy snacks to work with you munch on those throughout the day so you are no even tempted to eat the naniamo bars, cakes, candies and all other goodies screaming your name.

I hope this helps you stay fit and healthy this holiday season, remember to take time out for yourself!

Yours Truly,

Michelle

Follow on Twitter or Instagram for daily motivation: @CORECondition