By Praveen & Maahek Nair
The holiday season is a time when we come together to celebrate and unwind. Let ourselves indulge a little. While it’s completely fine to enjoy the treats and hearty meals that come with the festivities it’s also important to find a balance and avoid any unwanted weight gain.
We’ve got you covered with tips, on making food choices and incorporating workouts you are going to have a great holiday season without any guilt.
Smart Food Selections
Protein is your best friend: Add lean protein sources to every meal, this will help you feel full for a longer period while maintaining your muscle mass which is essential for a good metabolism.
Portion sizing: Use smaller dishes for eating or snaking to consume food in acceptable quantities to avoid weight gain. This will help prevent thoughtless indulgence. If you are still hungry you can always go back for seconds
Hydrate: Feeling hungry? Try drinking a glass of water, We sometimes confuse thirst with hunger, so begin your day with a glass of water, and always have your handy water bottle wherever you go.
Fiber-Rich Foods: Add fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to your diet, which are low in calories and excellent for your health. This will help in digestion as well as make you feel full, and lower your risk of overeating.
Mindful Eating: Most of us are used to watching something while we eat
, this can be bad as it could cause us to overindulge without realizing it. Being mindful of what you eat is important. Be more conscious of your body cues.Workout Techniques To Try This Holiday Season
Start Early: Wake up and workout- begin your day with exercise and set the tone for the rest of the day. This helps enhance your metabolism, even if it’s just a 20 to 30 min cardio or weight training it can help you lay off those few extra pounds and have a major effect on your overall weight maintenance.
HIIT: Practice HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workouts for quick, effective, and efficient calorie burning and fitness improvement. This short and intense workout puts your body in a stage of burning calories faster and improving your metabolic rate while you rest.
Move: Make physical activity a part of the vacation ritual. Go for walks together, explore more places instead of staying indoors, dance a little, or play some outdoor activities together, this will help you bond as well as lose weight. Every movement matters.
Time management: the holidays may be hectic, if you do not make a plan you are bound to “go with the flow” and eat whatever may come your way or at odd hours. Plan your workouts and meals, and schedule them like any other appointment make this a necessity to follow this will help you, maintain consistency and avoid grabbing on to anything random to eat when you get hungry.
Foods to Eat in Moderation
Sugar goodies: You can eat a few sweets now and then during the holidays but as you may know- too much of anything is not good, and that is especially true when it comes to sugary goods such as cookies, cakes, candies, etc, these are not your friend when it comes to weight loss so avoid them as much as possible. Go for healthy dessert options instead such as fruit salad or yogurt.
Alcohol: known to contain a huge amount of calories too much alcohol should be avoided, instead go for milder options such as wine or a clear spirit with a calorie-free mixer. Alcohol can also cause you to have a hangover making you feel lethargic and lazy the next day preventing you from getting any workouts.
Processed foods: Foods that come in cans, packets, etc are often processed foods which are frequently heavy in harmful fats and added calories. Choose whole foods instead like almonds, vegetables with hummus, or whole grain crackers they will keep you full for a longer time.
Tip: Beware of creamy, high-fat sauces that are offered as sides, they can drastically boost the calories in your meal, a healthy option instead would be to use tomatoes or broth-based sauces.
Right Mindset=Goals Accomplished
Self-Compassion: it is essential to recognize that occasionally excess can be a part of the holidays, do not punish yourself for this.
Set Realistic Goals: rather than looking to lose weight during the holidays, you should set goals like weight maintenance. This goal is more achievable, pressuring you less and letting you have fun because what are the holidays for if not to ENJOY?
Finding someone who can keep you accountable will be very helpful as well. Grab a family member for a friend who is looking to keep off those extra calories just as you are and motivate and check up on each other’s progress.
Let’s check out some simple home workouts for the Holiday Season
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT):
- Start with a 30sec to 1 min jumping jacks to get your heart rate up.
- Do 15-20 pushups targeting your upper body
- Do 15-20 squats to work on the lower body
- Hold a plank for 30-60 sec to work on the core
- Now repeat this circuit 3 to 4 times with a 2-minute rest in between each circuit.
Bodyweight Circuit:
- Start with 10 burpees for a full-body exercise
- Do 10 lunges on each leg for the legs and glutes
- Engage the core with 15-20 bicycle crunches
- Use the edge of your bed or a strong chair or table for 15 tricep dips
- Now repeat this circuit 3 to 4 times with a 2-minute rest in between each circuit.
Mat Pilates:
You can perform some simple mat Pilates moves such as the hundred, the roll-up, single leg circuit, plank, bridging, the saw, swan dive, etc. These are fantastic for flexibility, balance, and strength. You can follow along with simple home videos.
Jump Rope:
An excellent cardio exercise the jump rope can help you build stamina and lay off those extra pounds. Start with 5 minutes and slowly increase the duration and reps.
Dance Workouts:
No time to hit the treadmill? Don’t worry just dance! Dance is a fun way to burn those extra pounds, put on your favorite playlist, and grove for 30 min, you will have a blast while working out specially during the holiday season.
Stair Climbing:
One of the most underrated exercises is the stair climbers. If you have stairs inside your house or in your building simply climb up and down the stairs for 10-15 minutes.
Resistance Bands:
A versatile and great piece of equipment you could invest in is the resistance bands. You can carry them along anywhere you go and perform quick workouts like lateral raises, leg lifts, or bicep curls.
Always remember to warm up and cool down after and before your workouts to prevent any injuries.
Conclusion
With the right mindset, cheerful attitude, frequent exercise, and thoughtful eating staying healthy and not overindulging is possible. ENJOY every celebration this holiday season guilt-free by making wise nutritional and health choices.
Remember: Holiday is about ENJOYING and spending time with your family and friends so find your balance.