6 WAYS TO STAY HEALTHY THROUGHOUT THE HOLIDAYS AND INTO THE NEW YEAR

During the holidays it is often difficult to manage our healthy habits. It seems like every time around this year you get a little lax and start the New Year with the same weight you were trying to lose from the last New Year. There are many factors like family visits, less activity and even colder weather that affect our fitness, but here are 6 ways that you can stay in shape throughout the holidays and into the New Year.

       Do something you don’t normally do.  If you don’t work out, obviously my advice to you would be to begin a workout regimen. If you do workout, try something different that you haven’t normally done. If you normally walk outdoors, try a different path. If you use the treadmill at the gym normally, try a workout that involves the elliptical. Variety is the spice of life and so should it be with your workouts. Keep them interesting and varied so you will have something to focus on other than what’s coming out of your headphones.

  Drink more water Whether you realize it or not, you need just as much water in the winter as you do in the summer. Even though it is cold outside, your body uses a lot of energy to keep you warm. The colder it is, the more your body has to work to keep your core temperature stable. You may not feel like you are working hard, but your body is expending quite a bit of energy to keep you from experiencing hypothermia in your limbs and especially your core. Staying hydrated throughout the day can also keep you full. Water doesn’t have any calories so what better than something that can not only replenish your fluids from being out in the cold, but can also keep you from significantly increasing your calorie intake. You can’t snack if you are full so drink up!

 Talk with your food With family and friends around; you are more likely to eat more food than if you were alone. That being said, trying to cut back on the multiple plates can be difficult. The best way to prevent this is to talk while you have your food. It takes the brain 15-20 minutes to pick up the signal the stomach is full. If you spend more time talking and less time eating, that signal will get there before you reach for that next plate. You can also try eating fewer portions when you do eat. Eating a little bit of food throughout the day is much better for you than sitting down to scarf down a gigantic meal when you are hungry.

   Get Some sleep There is a lot of activity during the holidays as well as planning for these activities. Don’t forget to get an ample amount of sleep during this time of year. The amount of sleep needed by each individual varies from person to person, but most people need between 6-9 hours of sleep. Depriving yourself of sleep can prevent your body from fully recuperating and can lead you to gain more weight during the holidays as your metabolism begins to slow down. You can’t catch up on sleep either; the best thing is to try to stay as consistent as you can with your sleep on a daily basis.  

Shop often Why not? It’s the holiday season, people are expecting gifts from you and all the stores are having their end of the year sales. Walking burns calories and just as long as you aren’t spending most of your time in the food court, you’ll be spending some quality time thinking about gifts for loved ones while happily burning off calories. If you actually buy something, you get the extra benefit of carrying around weight and adding an element of resistance training to your cardiovascular mall workout.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Remember the Pyramid The food pyramid is going to be your best bet to eating right during the holidays. If you can stick closely to the FDA recommendations for consumption within each food group, you give yourself a good chance of staying healthy throughout the holidays and into the New Year.

If you are looking to jump start your New Years weight loss resolutions, or are just looking to maintain your healthy lifestyle throughout the holidays, these six steps will help navigate you through the gingerbread houses and chocolate fountains of temptation to happy and healthy you…Forge ON!