Fitness Hacks To Survive The Holidays

There’s no doubt that the holiday season is upon us and is going to get crazy as ever. It always is right? Well, I’m here to help you survive so you don’t completely sabotage all of the hard work you’ve put towards your health and fitness in 2019. Creating a plan in goal setting, fitness, and nutrition will have you walking out of this year feeling confident and in control.

Goal Setting

For starters, reassess your goals to where you are currently in your fitness. It’s important to have a realistic approach to your goal setting. You could be happy with your progress this year and your goal is to maintain your weight throughout the holiday season. If you are currently trying to lose weight, take a look at how aggressive your monthly goal is. You can still shoot for weight loss, but potentially shoot for 5-6 pounds instead of 7-8 (or reduce your goal slightly) knowing that you have a lot of travel coming up. It’s still a loss which is an accomplishment. Another approach could be to work on strength goals like pull-ups or planks cause you can squeeze them in daily under a schedule with time constraints. Remember, the key is to be realistic.

Fitness

With a party here, family visiting there, and last minute shopping everywhere it can feel like there are just not enough hours in the day to do what you usually fit in to your normal day to day schedule. It’s ok! Remember that this is just a short period of time and will not last forever. With that said, get creative and be kind on yourself. 

Maybe you are used to going to a yoga class at a studio or having your personal trainer come to your house for workouts. If you find yourself traveling or overloaded with family activities, squeeze in your workouts when you can. It may mean only doing 30 minutes of yoga on an app like Down Dog instead of your usual 60 minute class or asking your trainer to incorporate your family member that is visiting from out of town into your next training session. Other options may be to ride your bike or walk to the grocery store if you only need a few things. Walk around the mall for an extra 15 minutes if you go for just a few things. You may have to change the time of day that you get in your workout, but you will feel better that you did 30 minutes of something rather than nothing at all. 

Nutrition

All the holiday food though! I mean really? Why does it taste so good? Well, I’m not going to tell you to deprive yourself, but I will say don’t get carried away. Even I like to enjoy the holidays a bit (hello pumpkin everything!!!). The key is moderation. You don’t need dessert every night and you don’t need to have 2 desserts at a time. However, you can split a dessert with someone or just one small dessert once per week. Normally after a few bites you will have satisfied that sweet tooth anyway. 

Possibly, savory appetizers are your thing. Consider picking your favorite and having 2-3 pieces depending on their size. Portion control is key when making your plate. Load up on the veggies and keep the creamy stuff to a minimum. If you are headed to a party and unsure if there will be any healthy food, you could have a healthy snack like carrots and hummus or apple and peanut butter before heading out to the party. You will not be starving when you arrive and less likely to overindulge. 

How are you making healthier choices over the holidays? Tag us on Instagram @fun2befit_siliconvalley or Facebook @fun2befit.siliconvalley