December is almost upon us and with the month of December comes holidays, celebrations and even a few extra pounds of weight. Studies have shown that weight gain during the winter months is a common and often expected occurrence. This makes sense since most people reduce their activity levels as well as over indulge during the holidays. Evolutionarily, it has also been to our advantage to store more fat during the winter months. This fat adds to protection from the extreme cold temperatures as well as provides necessary fuel during times of food scarcity. Unfortunately, we are no longer cave men and women!
There's no reason that your fitness should get in the way of enjoying the holidays, as long as compromises are made. I want to challenge you to make the following changes to this year's holiday celebrations:
1. Everything in moderation: Next time you find yourself loading up your plate with cookies and cakes, think for a moment, "What do I want?" and "What will make me filled and satisfied?". Compare the differences between these two answers and decide what portion size is going to be appropriate to both enjoy holiday food as well as prevent any regrets later.
2. Pick up the slack in other ways: Bargain with yourself. Any additional caloric intake should have its countermeasure with some additional exercise or activity. Now you don't need to go run a marathon if you have an additional glass of egg nog, but on the other hand, no crime goes unpunished. My challenge to you is to include 30 minutes of brisk walking for any dramatic caloric increase. Walking isn't going to stave off all the pounds, but it will keep your metabolism high during the temperature drop and it will help lessen the caloric damage that had occurred. Better yet, you'll be much happier you had the walk when all is said and done.
3. Look for alternative recipes: In the age of the internet, there are alternatives to just about any recipe! I've recently subscribed to a blog called, "Lean Body Lifestyle". This blog is dedicated to taking everyday recipes and changing them to reduce calories, increase protein, increase fiber and increase micronutrients! Something as simple as using apple sauce instead of oil while baking can create great shifts in the calorie density of foods without compromising great taste!
4. Enjoy the Holidays: Holidays are great times to rest and recuperate. I love the month of December, because it is a time that my own training becomes less intense and I'm able to recover both physically and mentally. This really preps me for January when I can set all new goals and really get to work at having the next best year of my life!
Take these tips and run with them. As long as you can give an effort to one or two of these tips, you'll be well on your way to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and not gaining any unnecessary pounds. Keep at it and I'll see you at the gym!
Russ
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