God Jul (Swedish for Merry Christmas)!!!!
Christmas is around the corner, actually tomorrow for me and my family, and we are all busy planning food and social events, but have you given your training schedule a thought?
Christmas is the time to catch up with family and friends, and enjoy some fantastic food, but we don’t have to overdo it and feel bad about Christmas before and after. Make Christmas what it should be, the time of the year when we spend a nice relaxing time with family and friends and just enjoying life as it was meant to be.
Remember that life is full of hurdles but if you are fit it is so much easier to jump over them and keep going.
A
lot of people put on weight and lose their fitness over the Christmas holidays,
making Christmas Season something to dread.
Many people put off fitness during the holidays believing that they do not have the time to exercise and enjoy the holiday season. Staying fit and enjoying the holidays at the same time can be done together.
1. Eat Before You Go –. If you have an event planned for later in the day, don’t skip a meal to “save” yourself for later. Eat a smaller meal on your meal time and you will be less tempted to overindulge if you have already eaten.
2. Choose Treats Wisely – Pick something you only have during the holidays and not something that is available all of the time. And use it as a treat, something you only eat over the holiday.
3. Don’t Skip Meals – While it might be tempting to skip meals thinking that will make up for the holiday treats, it is actually counterproductive.
4. Control Your Drinking – Alcohol is an easy way to add the calories.
5.
Exercise Whenever You Can – Exercised doesn’t mean just at the gym, go for a
walk before every meal or after every meal.
6. Make It A Family Affair – Plan activities to do such as walking, playing tennis, bike rides, or a game of 4 squares in the driveway.
7. Don’t Forget Strength Training – You don’t have to go to the gym to maintain your muscle mass; push up, sit-ups, dips and using the ther-a-band are great alternatives.
8. Don’t Set Unrealistic Exercise Goals – But aim to exercise 30 minutes a day, if you are a bit tired after a long working year and Christmas, make it into 10 minutes walks three times a day to start with.
9.
Don’t Attempt To Stick To An Unrealistic Diet During The Holidays and think
Green. – If you enjoy your favorite foods in small portions you will feel more
satisfied, and just because a lot of the holiday food don’t “come” with a green
salad add it and that will fill you up. Trying to stay away from certain foods
may cause you to eat more than you intended.
10. Drink Plenty Of Water – Water helps counter the dehydrating affects of travel or alcoholic beverages. Water will also help satiate your appetite as thirst is often mistaken for hunger.
11. Make workouts a priority – Try early morning workouts.
12.
Remember Christmas is one day a year! You don’t have to eat Christmas food
throughout and sit on the sofa and listen to Christmas Carols the whole summer.
On
Boxing Day we are back to normal; start the morning with a walk, and get right
back into three “normal plate” meals.
The
festive season is supposed to be a time for fun, joy and celebration.
Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year!!!!
I'm look forward to a year of successes and many great fitness stories and goals to be won. See you in 2012!!
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