This is a tough time of year for a lot of people when it comes to health.
Holiday parties.
Food.
Booze.
Family and friends.
The wife and I actually had to sit down and put all of our upcoming events into the calendar. There’s so many things to do!
All of these likely become priorities over health and fitness. This is why there is such a big push on January 1 to diet and exercise more.
Lots of food+ A drink here or there + No time for exercise = weight gain
A lot of people throw in the towel once the holidays hit, but I’m here to give you some tips to keep it going so that you don’t lose everything you’ve worked for.
- Prioritize your training-This can seem like a tough one. Many will tell me they don’t have time to train. But it might just be a matter of actually scheduling it in and doing it. Just think of how good you feel after you train. Think about how guilty you feel when you don’t.
- Have a backup plan– Physical activity doesn’t always have to occur in the gym. Do a quick at-home workout (CLICK HERE for a quick workout to do at home with no equipment). Even just going for a walk after you have a big meal can be beneficial. Run around with the kids. Rake the yard. Whatever it is, just do something physical:)
- Limit alcohol consumption– This can put a damper on your health no matter what time of year it is. It’s best not to drink your calories, but if you must have a drink, have a glass of water after each round. It’ll keep you closer to that hydrated state and just might prevent you from overdoing it. Remember, I think you are cool whether you drink or not.
- Eat your veggies first– Even if there are some “unhealthy” options on the table, eating a big serving of veggies prior to devouring those potatoes or stuffing can often limit how many calories you consume.
- Get some sleep– A lack of sleep on top of alcohol consumption decreases your productivity by 1000%. This is a fact. Because SCIENCE.
So there you have it. Some great tips to keep you in at least a maintenance stage during these next few weeks.
It’s best to implement all of these, but if I only had to pick two, I would go with #4 and #5. If you eat crap and sleep like crap, you will gain weight no matter how much you exercise!