Did you wake up this morning and freak out about the number you saw on the scale? Did it go up 1, 5 or 7 lbs from last week because of the holiday? You aren’t alone. The average person gains 7lbs over the holidays! If you gained some weight – the best thing you can do is get it off ASAP, otherwise it may hang around until next year! Here are my top 10 tips:
- Throw out those leftovers. The longer you eat the food that made you gain weight – the more weight you will gain. It’s that simple!
- Sweat it out. Hit the gym today, tomorrow and all next week! The quickest way to create a calorie deficit is to eat less AND workout.
- Make it your goal to eat clean TONIGHT! Â Don’t wait until tomorrow – start now!
- Keep it simple. Stick to fruit, veggies and lean protein sources. Once you get back to your desired pre-holiday weight – you can add back in some complex carbs like whole grains, wheat bread, etc.
- We tend to eat bigger meals over the holidays (duh) but also fewer meals since they are so big. This is not good for our metabolisms or waistlines. Start eating every 2-3 hours. No sooner than 2 hours since your last mini meal but no longer than 3 hours.
- If the thought of turning away eggnog lattes, peppermint bark and other holiday treats for the rest of the season makes you depressed – tell yourself you can have some in moderation. You just don’t want to have them every day or that scale is going to keep going up and up. Allow yourself one “cheat” treat (aka 1 serving) per week IF you are working out regularly and eating right.
- Be realistic about your workouts so you can get started asap. Like I mention above – you really need to hit the weights STAT, but if you know you aren’t going to make it to the gym today or tomorrow (or even any time over the next month!) then you need to try something else that will work for you. I recommend taking a class or joining a bootcamp so that you will be held accountable by the instructor and other participants (even if they don’t talk to you – you will know they are wondering where you are if you miss a class!). If you do better with home workouts and will actually push yourself – then start making some workout plans for the next week and map out what you will do. You can start with my Gobble Workout first.
- Do some research. If you’ve been in a holiday food haze over the last week or so – eating right may seem like a thing of the past and you may need to re-learn how to do it right. Look online for clean eating tips, check out other blog posts from me, check out some healthy cooking videos on youtube or even use one of your days off to hit your local bookstore and find some healthy recipes to make.
- Be mindful of what you are eating. This time of year we are all busy with family, shopping, parties, extra work responsibilities, etc. That means that usually we eat in a hurry and don’t really think about what we are putting into our mouths. Just ask yourself if what you are eating is worth the disappointment of feeling fat and bloated over the next few weeks – because that is likely how long it will take to get rid of it.
- Get your partner and family members involved. It’s harder to be healthy and eat right if you are surrounded by people who aren’t interested. Even if they won’t join you – just make sure they don’t sabotage you. Tell them you are not going on a “diet” but rather eating healthier and want to have some energy for the new year. If they still don’t get the hint and try to tempt you with bad food – try to make most of your meals yourself or at least help in the kitchen so you have some control over what goes into your body.
Check out my article featured on Culturemap for my other tips and how to stay fit during this time of year!
