Holiday Fitness Survival Guide

Sunday, 22 November 2009 19:00

It is entirely possible to enjoy yourself this holiday season without waking up New Year’s Day with a belly that “shakes when you laugh like a bowl full of jelly.”

By Tony Federico

Step 1. Keep Exercising
The No. 1 tip for surviving the holidays is to keep exercising. Staying active will help your body deal with the added stress of family, travel and shopping. Physically, you will burn more calories to balance out all the holiday goodies. Heading off to the gym in the middle of a party or get-together may not be reasonable, but taking a walk/run through the neighborhood, doing calisthenics in the back yard or taking a bike ride with family is.

Step 2. Drink Extra H20
Travel, as well as increased alcohol, caffeine and salt, can lead to dehydration. Not only does this affect your overall health, potentially making you more susceptible to illness, but you’ll end up feeling hungrier. This situation can be easily avoided by upping your water intake. Divide your body weight in two and drink that many ounces of water over the course of the day (ex. A 100-pound person would want to drink 50 ounces, or three plastic bottles).

3. Don’t Crash Diet
Severely restricting yourself or starting an extreme exercise routine just before a big event like a holiday is a recipe for disaster. The drop in weight is primarily due to water loss, which is tied to a depletion of stored carbohydrates in the body. Those 5 to10 pounds you lost can easily come back with reinforcements as soon as the eating and exercise habits reverse themselves. Your best bet is to eat normally right up to the holiday and go back to normal right after.

4. Give Recipes a Break
Maybe that tofu pumpkin pie recipe really is tasty, but maybe it isn’t. Be careful when preparing new versions of your traditional favorites because the last thing that you want you or your guests to feel is dissatisfied. You may end up compensating by eating excessive amounts of other foods. Instead, try preparing both the traditional and experimental versions and offer both. The worst thing that can happen is that you either find a new favorite or go back to the drawing board for next year.

5. Say “Sayonara” to Leftovers
Leftover turkey breast, veggies, sweet potatoes and other nutritious everyday items are one thing; piles of cookies, cakes and pies are another. Excessive leftovers can easily turn a one-day binge into a weeklong bender. Share them with guests or co-workers. If you are a guest, be judicious in what you take home with you.

Get more tips, tricks and workout ideas by visiting Tony's blog.