Staying "Balanced" During the Holidays

Schedule your workouts like you would any other appointment!

Most of us use a phone calendar, or some type of an appointment book to stay on top of everything we have to do. Things like dentist appointments, PTA meetings, coffee with a friends, all get scheduled into our calendars. These appointments aren’t something you would just “skip” or not show up for, so make sure to do the same for your workout! Take some time earlier in the week (preferably Sunday evening) to block out times in your schedule that you will get your workout in. For this to work, you have to treat those time blocks as normal appointments! Make sure you show up! Even if it means getting up 30 minutes earlier that day.

Hydration is key!

With the constant running around, and for most of us, the much colder weather, we tend to slack on our water intake. Then add caffeinated beverages and alcohol into the picture which dehydrate us even more, the body ends up severely dehyrated. With over 80% of the body being made up of H20, our bodies just can’t work efficiently in this deprived state. The brain then tells the body to crave carbohydrates and sodium in order to RATAIN water. Most of our holiday treats are usually LOADED with carbohydrates, sugar and sodium so when we are dehydrated, it is much more difficult to say "No". In short, DRINK WATER! so you don't over do it.

Stay on track the other hours of the day!

Try not to turn your holiday into an all day eating and drinking event. If Christmas morning includes overnight french toast and hot cocoa, do your best to minimize carbohydrates and sugars the rest of the day. Don't just throw in the towel saying "well, I already messed up" and eat whatever you want the remainder of the day. Do you best to supply your body good sources of proteins and greens so that even though you did indulge a bit, you are not completely overdoing it.

EAT THE CHOCOLATE CAKE!

Well, it doesn’t really have to be chocolate cake, but what I mean is, it’s the holidays! We all have certain family recipes or foods we look forward to. EAT IT! ENJOY IT! DON’T REGRET IT! Do NOT stay on a diet over the holidays. If you deprive yourself of some of the things you enjoy and look forward to, you are likely to justify poor choices in the future. “Well, I never got a piece of apple pie on Thanksgiving, so I’m totally having this doughnut”. Those “justified cheats” will most likely continue long after the holidays and you run the risk of falling off track completely. So, have WHAT you want, WHEN you want it over the holidays, and then get right back to your routine.