It is that time of year when the hustle and bustle of Christmas begins to take over your livelihood. Every weekend there seems to be another party or gathering with all types of high calorie food and drinks. Then you have the infinite list of items that you must buy for those special individuals in your life. It all seems to snowball and your fitness level tends to deteriorate because you have made other things a priority. You have to take the time for yourself during all of this insanity, so you don’t end up looking like a Santa Clause stand in. If you have spent the last 6 months working on being a better you, why would you stop working on yourself during one of the highest caloric stretches of the season?
It takes a good dose of determination, motivation, and persistence to get through the next few months without overindulging, especially if you close circle of friends does not have the same mindset as you. While everyone around you seems to be pounding down the cookies and alcoholic beverages, you are wondering if there is any form of viable protein that you can consume to keep you on track. Here are some helpful way to get through the Holiday Insanity.
- Choose your indulgences wisely. This time of year there are 100’s of different types of cookies, desserts, beverages, and delicious food options. It is up to you to make sure that you try to balance out your choice of carbohydrates with some form of protein to stave off eating endless amounts of carbohydrates. Try to limit yourself to one protein and one carbohydrate per time slot, this will help you control your carbohydrate urges while out and about.
- Make sure you plan ahead. It becomes very easy to throw the first food item that comes within your realm down your throat if you haven’t eaten anything in the last four hours. If you are attending a holiday party make sure you try to keep you meal frequency and timing throughout the day, which will help you at the party. Also, if you know there is no good food choices at the party, eat before you go. This way you can snack on things rather than blow your entire day’s worth of calories in a matter of minutes.
- Create a workout schedule for the month. If you make a workout schedule ahead of time and put it in your daily calendar, you are less likely to let it fall by the wayside when your schedule becomes hectic. You might have to wake up a little earlier to fit the workout in, but this way it is done for the day. Most times if you leave your workout until after work, you will push it off because other things have taken priority. If you cannot get to the gym at least try to get in a 15 minute bodyweight workout at home. This requires no equipment and you do not have to drive to any location. It could consist of things like push-ups, crunches, planks, squats, lunges, jumping jacks, etc.
- Find a workout partner. This could be someone you know or see at the gym during your normal routine, or it could be a co-worker who helps hold you accountable to getting your workout in. You could have a weekly check-in to see how many workouts you both have in for the week or invite them to try out your location or vice versa. Sometimes a change of scenery and knowing someone is waiting for you helps keep you on task. You could also hire a Certified Personal Trainer to make sure that you are managing your time and workouts effectively.
- Prioritize your time. During this time of year it is very easy to say yes to everyone who asks you to attend a gathering, pick up an item, participate in a cookie exchange, etc. It is alright to say no to people, they will understand if you cannot attend everything that takes place during this two month span. You have to make sure you are keeping your sanity and sometimes saying no is the best way to do that. Pick and choose your events and tasks wisely. Make sure that you carve out time for just you to enjoy the holiday season rather than stressing yourself out about all you have to get done. This time of year is especially important for keeping your health and wellness goals in check. It becomes easy to become rundown and pick up some sort of viral illness due to all of the individuals you will come in contact with over the next several weeks. It is in your best interest to head to bed a little earlier to help during this insane time of year.
If you have more questions or need help with your fitness regimen, let Xcellerated Speed Training guide you through this holiday time.