Holiday Fit Tips

Plan It Out:  Going to a holiday party later? Then make sure to get a workout in earlier in the day. Planning to attend a cookie exchange party after work? Then don’t snack on office treats throughout the day. Plan ahead, so you can make sure your life has a good balance of fun and fit this holiday season!

High Quality H2O: The holidays equal more parties which equal more drinks! Make sure you are still getting plenty of water by alternating between your drink of choice and a glass of water. You’ll be thankful when you don’t consume extra calories and that you don’t feel like death the next morning!

The Big 3-0: My colleague lost 20 pounds in just a few months while still eating some of New York City’s finest pizza everyday for lunch! He contributed this awesome feat to two things – smaller meal portions and chewing each bite of food at least 30 times. While he was doing this for the mental aspect, I recently read in two magazines that chewing your food longer actually does help with the digestive process.

Bust a Move!: Don’t skip workouts – even if it’s just moving for a couple minutes. It’s easy to stay active this season while still being festive. Instead of driving, take a walk with family and friends to check out Christmas lights around your neighborhood. Make your favorite holiday movie into a workout like this Elf workout from He and She Eat Clean. If you don’t have much time to spare, just turn on your favorite holiday jam (“Jingle Bell Rock”, anyone?!) and dance it out.

To Eat or Not to Eat?: Always eat before heading to a party, so you aren’t as tempted by unhealthy snacks, drinks, and treats while there. Lastly, while at parties, avoid socializing around the food table. I went to a Chrismukkah party two weeks ago and snacked mindlessly while chatting around the food table (even after eating a full meal before the party!), but I didn’t even think about the food when I was seated on the couch talking.