How do you maintain your weight and stay fit during the holidays?

Holiday Season is the time of the year where we meet with family and friends and enjoy time together. It’s also the time when many fitness and diet programs are brought to a screeching halt. Instead of spending time exercising, we are busy shopping, attending parties, visiting family and friends and consuming high calorie, high fat, and high cholesterol foods such as meats with heavy sauces, sweets and chocolates, alcohol, processed and packaged foods that are coated in oils.

Once we are done with the holidays and ready to return to our routine schedule, we find a few extra pounds have been added to our weight.

We are a going to cover a few simple rules to follow to help stay fit and maintain our weight throughout the holiday season;

1. Don’t Abandon Your Exercise Routine:

It’s important to not only stick to your same exercise schedule, but, whenever possible, attempt to add an extra workout session.

Exercise wherever and whenever you can. We already know to take the steps instead of the elevator and park our car at the far end of the shopping center to get more exercise. The key is to move as often as you can. Finally, remember your strength training. Maintain your muscle mass. If necessary scale down your routine to include just the basics.

2.Eat Smart – Make Good Choices:

Don’t miss meals. Instead, eat small meals throughout the day to avoid over-doing it at the buffet table or dinner party.

3.  Eat before you leave:

It’s always said never go grocery shopping when you’re hungry, and the same applies here. Do not attend a holiday party on an empty stomach. Eat a handful of walnut’s and drink a large glass of water before leaving and you’ll tend to make smarter choices. You will be less tempted to binge at the party.

4.  Limit yourself to one treat. Once you are at the party, go ahead and indulge (it is the holidays), but stick to one item and make it a good one. Don’t aim for something you can have anytime, like chips or candy. Find something that is only offered during the holidays.

6. Watch what you drink. Alcohol is one way many consume more calories than they want or need. Look out for the mixed or fruity drinks. One glass of eggnog can have over 350 calories. Try drinking one glass of water for every drink you consume.

7. Stay away from the gravies, dressings, and high-calorie condiments.  Often, the dressings and condiments are worse for your waistline than the foods themselves.

8.  Eat more veggies with your meal. Instead of selecting the buttery potatoes, candied yams or stuffing, elect have to have more healthy veggies (carrots, celery sticks, cucumber slices) with your meal.