Eat, Drink and Be Merry While we love to see Jolly Fat Santa around Christmas, no one wants to see the image of him staring back at us in the mirror! With Christmas Parties, cookie swaps, family dinners it’s no wonder the average American can gain 1 and 4 pounds between Thanksgiving and the New Year.
Eat, Drink and Be Merry While we love to see Jolly Fat Santa around Christmas, no one wants to see the image of him staring back at us in the mirror! With Christmas Parties, cookie swaps, family dinners it’s no wonder the average American can gain 1 and 4 pounds between Thanksgiving and the New Year.
As much as you would love to read it (and I would love to write it) there are no magic pills to help you avoid holiday weight gain but, thankfully there is a common sense approach according to American Academy of Fitness Associates certified personal trainer Will
Taylor.
With more than 15 years of personal training experience and a Masters in Kinesiology and Anatomy, Taylor has trained everyone from fine tuned athletes to exercise novices with a lot of weight to lose. No matter how different they are on the outside they share a common goal… staying fit. The hardest time of year to keep on track with their fitness goals is – you guessed it- during the holidays.
“[Clients] tend to think it’s Christmas or Thanksgiving ‘I don’t have time’ or ‘I’ll wait until after New Years.’ What they don’t realize is this does more harm than you’d think.” Taylor goes on to explain that by having a carefree attitude about eating and drinking during the holidays you set yourself up for failure. When the New Year rolls around you not only have to lose the weight you wanted to lose but probably a few pounds more and while the time between Thanksgiving and New Years seems relatively short, it’s sufficient to acquire more bad habits. And those bad habits will thwart your efforts too.
The holidays are hectic and the last thing we want to add to our list of things to do is a one hour cardio routine daily just to maintain. Taylor says the best solution for those of us tight on time is to redefine your workout by doing a quick total body workout in just 15 minutes. “If you schedule a workout like any other appointment it’s easier to stay on task.”
Maintaining during the holidays is not just about exercise. In fact Taylor says that he tells his clients to use the 80/20 approach. “It’s 20 percent exercise and 80 percent eating. Contrary to popular belief, you can’t eat whatever you want as long as you exercise.” The bottom line is that if you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight.
So what’s a busy gal (or guy) to do?
Taylor says that if you follow these simple steps you will not only forgo those extra holiday pounds, you may lose a little weight.
1) Combat overeating- If you plan on attending a party, DON”T go on an empty stomach. Eat a light snack beforehand that includes a low-fat protein like peanut butter, eggs or sliced turkey.
2) Eat all day- Seriously! Small meals throughout the day will help ward off hunger and keep you away from that dreaded cookie platter at work. Each small meal should include a low fat protein, veggie and whole grain carbohydrate
3) Easy on the alcohol- Alcohol consumption can lower your inhibitions and before you know it your belly up at the chocolate fountain. Plus a lot of alcoholic beverages contain tons of calories. If you must drink, stick to white wine. And drink plenty of water since alcohol has a tendency to dehydrate.
4) Go ahead and have a cookie- Taylor says one of the worst things you can do is deprive yourself. This is usually what triggers a binge. So have a cookie or cocktail just don’t go overboard.
5) Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate! Taylor says there is a one word miracle that is key to weight management (finally!)… Water, water and more water. Water keeps you hydrated and actually helps you feel full longer.
Staying fit during the holidays will help you look and feel good for that New Years party, instead of watching the ball drop at home with your date, Ben & Jerry.
Do you have 15 minutes? Then you have time for this quick workout. AAFA Certified Trainer Will Taylor along with a client, ……., takes us through some quick exercises you can do at home to help keep fit during the holiday season.