Keep Fitness Goal on Track during the Holidays

Is this you at the Holiday’s?   Don’t let it be.

Keep Fitness Goal on Track during the Holidays.

It is so hard to stay on track with all the pies, cookies,cakes, candy, beverages, etc. Not to mention just the good old fashioned meals we all have come to love and look forward to every year.  So many temptations at the Holidays!  But, you can avoid packing on those extra Holiday pounds with a few simple little tricks that I use every year at the Holidays.   And I am not talking about just Christmas.  There are many Holidays we celebrate where over eating seems to be the theme.

There is a great website called Let’s Fight Holiday Fat, that will help you stick to your fitness goals.  Fun and yummy recipes, daily journal, progress chart, fitness log, etc.  Great tools for all your fitness needs.  Check it out and join. It is a great way to really keep yourself on track and accountable over the Holidays.

I take great pride in my health and fitness.  Maybe not as strict as some, but find my tips and tricks to help me and my hubby stay on course thru these times of the year.  We both love to eat, love food and love to cook.  But, we also know that happiness does not come from food.  So, we live our lives daily looking for other things in life that make us happy so we don’t tend to lean on food for a smile.   You know the old saying ~ A minute on the lips, a lifetime on the hips.  Well, that is so true.  No, maybe not a lifetime on the hips if you indulge from time to time but if you really think about it that extra piece of cake or pie you wanted so bad isn’t really worth it when you realize how many calories it has and how much you have to workout to burn those calories.  Yikes!

I am the one who does a lot of the cooking for most of our Holiday meals.  So, when I am cooking I try to include low calorie, low carb alternatives.   Using healthy ingredients in my meals helps not only me, but my whole family.  Replacing things like mashed potatoes, with mashed or baked sweet potatoes, not adding all that extra butter or cream to foods that really don’t need it, replacing sour cream for dips with greek yogurt, adding yogurt or applesauce in my baking in place of shortening, using whole grain breads instead of white breads/rolls, baking, grilling or using the crock pot for foods instead of frying things in oil, and just keeping in check what is a healthy choice and what is not.

Portion control is a biggie for many.   Why does one need 2 or 3 helpings?  Well, they don’t.  It is just one of those silly things that people do when your cooking is that good!  LOL!!  So, try meal planning according to how many people you are feeding, so you have no leftovers.  Leftovers might be a nice thing, but before they are considered “leftovers” they are still sitting on the table for people to stare at, and fill their plate a second and third time.  So, if you cook according to mouths to feed, you all eat just enough and are not tempted.

Water is my key.  I drink water, with a slice of lemon, all day long.  From the minute I get out of bed, till I go back to bed.  I love water!  I curbs my appetite, helps keep me on the verge of that full feeling, and hydrates me as I need to be.

Keeping healthy snacks on hand for when you get a craving.  With everyone showing up with those plates of cookies and candy it does get hard to control the urge.  But, I like to keep things  like on hand to help me not want to eat all that bad stuff.  I love carrots and apples, berries, protein bars, meal replacement shakes, and even sugar free candy.  There are so many good choices, you just need to find what will satisfy your cravings and urges.

Exercise ~ fit it in!  There are so many things you can do every day to fit in exercise.   Take the family pet for a walk.  Go outside and play with the kids for a bit.  Play some Xbox Kinect dancing games or other active games.   Get the family together at a family swimming pool for some water activities, sneak away for 10-15 minutes to do some squats, jacks, crunches, push ups, etc.  So many things you can do that will get your body mojo going.  I love to sneak away a couple times a day, go into my bedroom and do 50 jacks, 50 squats (with weights), 50 crunches and 50 push ups.   Think about it, when I do that 3 times a day.. that is huge!!   If you put your mind to it you will find something fun to fit your exercise in over the Holidays.

Remember, the Holidays come and go every year but that doesn’t give you an excuse to throw that healthy lifestyle you have been working on right out the window.  It is just another day on your journey to a living smart you!

Disclosure ~

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for alli. I received a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.”