It may not be swimsuit season, but the holidays are still prime time for focusing on losing weight, even though it’s perhaps the worst time of year for it. This year, instead of trying to lose weight, make healthy lifestyle choices your priority. You have a better chance of success and it will help cut back on the amount of stress we typically feel during this already busy season.
Get Organized!
With the extra events and obligations of the holidays, it’s easy for health to get bumped off the to-do list. A little extra time spent planning will go a long way to keeping you on track. Set a SMART goal to give you a roadmap for navigating the holiday season while making healthy choices.
Tips to Eat Smart
- Meal planning is as important as ever, saving a trip to the drive-thru.
- Choose water to stay hydrated and cut back on liquid calories. The holidays are notorious for high-calorie dessert drinks.
- When you’re going to a holiday party, bring a healthy option to share. You’d be surprised how well a nice seasonal salad or veggies with a tasty dip will go over. This way, you know there will at least one thing to help you eat smart.
Tips to Move More
- Scheduling time to be physically active will help keep you from skipping out because you can’t find the time.
- Sneak in a few minutes of activity whenever you have a short break. An exciting new study found that just 10 minutes of interval training– 2 minute warm-up, 20 seconds all out work (sprinting) with 1 minute of recovery (walking or slow jogging), repeated 3 times, and 3 minutes cool down– is beneficial for your fitness. The 7 Minute Workout from the New York Times is another great quick routine you can work in on busy days.
- Don’t skimp on sleep. Being too tired to exercise is a big reason people skip out on their good intentions. You also make better food choices when you’re well rested.
These are some quick tips to outsmart the holiday season and still Eat Smart and Move More. Do you have any advice to add that has worked for you?