Deck the Halls with Holiday Goodies

The Holidays are most definitely upon us. From holiday parties adorned with endless trays of goodies, to holiday-cheer filled neighbors adorning your door step with endless goodies it’s like being stuck in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate factory for a month. A word to the wise….be careful. Don’t let all your hard work go by the wayside. The average American eats a surplus of about 600 calories PER DAY during the holiday season. No, those two zero’s aren’t a type-o. 600 it is. Remember 3,500 calories = 1lb. You do the math. So what’s a holiday lovin’ girl (or boy, of course) to do? Here’s a few thoughts…
1. Keep up your workout regimen. Times get even busier during the holidays its true. BUT don’t let that throw off your workout routine. Keep burning those calories! Remember that eating more + burning less = uh oh….
2. De-junkify your environment. Have you ever found yourself aimlessly snacking on something that you don’t even like just because it’s there in front of you? You may love the Johnson family, but you don’t have to show it by eating every single cookie on their gifted plate. Your options?
-Freeze them. Most baked goods will last a good three months when frozen. Then you can enjoy them with portion control in mind.
-Gather up all your goodies and take them to a holiday party. Everyone will think your uber-generous, and your home will be calorie-ridden!
-Throw them away (GASP!!!!) I know, I know. It sounds harsh and horrible, but the truth is….if it’s sitting in front of you, you’re probably going to eat it.
3. Pick your indulgences wisely. If you have a favorite holiday treat wait for it! I’m not trying to tell you that you can’t have holiday goodies every now and again, but every holiday goodie that crosses your path??? Not so much. Limit yourself to one dessert. If you know you’ll be indulging in some traditional holiday sweets towards the end of the week, be super good during the week. It’s doable!
4. Don’t Go Hungry. If you show up to a holiday soiree on an empty stomach you’ll probably eat, snack, and taste test your way through the evening. Cheese, Egg-nog, Chocolate, Sugar Cookies, and the like. All of these things are surrounded by little red flags screaming “CALORIES!!” My advice to you. Eat a healthy meal beforehand. This doesn’t give you the go ahead to eat two meals. But, if you arrive full you’ll be less likely to make mindless eating choices from your stomach not your head.
5. Set some goals. There is NO written law anywhere saying you must gain weight during the holidays. I feel like a lot of people just give into the the Christmastime chaos and don’t even try. Don’t surrender! Why not continue to lose weight during the holidays? Set some goals to prove yourself right… Some examples could be; Attending the gym a certain number of times during the week, not eating sugar, only having one dessert day in the week, continuing to keep track of your calories, etc. You’ll find that once you set a concrete goal instead of just saying “I’m going to try and do my best.” You’ll make progress!

These are just a few ideas. There are many things we can do to keep ourselves off the naughty list. Yes, New Years is close and it’s great to set new health goals for ourselves when the resolutions come around. BUT, why not start now? Show the gingerbread man who’s boss!