Intro
The holidays can often be a tough time to keep your fitness and nutrition goals in check. There are more occasions for high calorie foods, more parties that include alcohol, and not to mention the stress of running around shopping for gifts. With that being said, this doesn’t mean you should just count this time of year out of the equation. In fact, the holidays are a good time to lock it down and still work towards your goals.
While it’s not expected that you stay absolutely perfect over the holiday season, you can stick to a few rules that will keep you on track.
In this post, you’ll be getting five tips that will help you stay the course for your nutrition and fitness goals, no matter the time of year.
Water Intake
As simple as it may sound, your water intake is crucial for the holidays. With everything going on, you might find that you take in less water than normal. This can lead you to becoming dehydrated, which will only slow you down.
It’s not expected that you take a gallon of water everywhere you go during your holiday. That just won’t be necessary. What’s going to help you the most is getting it out of the way early in the day. For example, you should wake up and consume 16-24oz of water upon waking. This’ll fill you up and get you hydrated for most of the day. From here, drink normally.
You’ll be super hydrated, but you’ll also notice a lack of cravings when you consume proper amounts of water. This’ll help to keep you from searching out junk food in a hunger crazed frenzy!
Switch Up the Cardio
While not always the most fun, now is not the time to be slacking on your cardio. So, what can you do to make things a little more interesting?
Cardio doesn’t mean one thing. You can really do anything to get in cardiovascular work. This could be walking, running, biking, stair climbing, jump rope, or even rowing. You can even take it a step further and break up your session with multiple forms of cardio. Take a 45-minute cardio work out and do 15 minutes between the treadmill, elliptical, and bike.
It may not sound like much, but it can help keep you focused on your goals as you go throughout the holidays.
Make Your Food Taste Good
Just because you’re trying to lose weight or stay on track, doesn’t mean your food has to taste bland. The idea of plain chicken and broccoli is a fast track to failure. Instead find ways to make your food healthy, AND taste good. A good way to do this is by finding a few seasonings that you actually enjoy.
Flavor King seasonings are a great example of something that will help make your food enjoyable. They have numerous options that bring a ton of flavor, which will help out with variety and other recipes. You can even take this to another level with zero calorie condiments. Anything that adds low to zero calorie flavor to your food is going to help you stay consistent.
Good food is even more important during the holidays so that you don’t opt out for the treats instead. If you’re faced with a choice of bland chicken breast or pie, which are you going to choose? Instead give yourself something that you’ll look forward to!
Keep Protein High
Of all the macronutrients, protein is the most important. It helps to repair muscle mass, keep you full, and burn a few extra calories. Therefore, it’s going to play a big role in staying on top for the holidays.
Even if you’re going to a family dinner or a holiday party, you can always prioritize your protein intake. Choose the options available that have the most protein. This will put you close to your goals and keep you from straying too far off your plan.
Keep up the Veggies
In addition to protein, getting in your vegetables will help you stick to it. Vegetables come with fiber, which will do a couple of things for you during the holidays. First off, it’ll help to keep you full. This, of course, will help you avoid going overboard in calories.
Fiber is also going to help you out if you do happen to eat a few things that you normally don’t. You’ll need the fiber to help with digestion and removal of waste, and vegetables are perfect for the task.
Even for holiday events or meals, ensure that you grab a serving or two of veggies to help.
Conclusion
The holidays can be a tough time for the person looking to stick to a plan or routine. There’s a lot that feels unavoidable like sweets or alcohol. However, you can use the tricks above to stay locked and loaded so that you come out on the other side just fine.
Stick to the basics and give yourself a few guidelines, and you’d be surprised at how helpful it can be.
The holiday seasons don’t have to be hard. You can be the person who makes it through feeling great about your progress. Just put these tips into play and keep it going!