As exciting as the holiday season is, for many people it can be a struggle.  Not only does the busyness of the season bring on extra stress, but it also brings extra parties and treats followed by unnecessary and unwanted holiday weight gain.  While it’s okay to enjoy the time of year and occasionally treat yourself, you really do need to keep yourself in check if you want to be happy and HEALTHY at the start of the New Year.  So here are a few tips to help you stay on track and avoid the dreaded holiday weight gain.

 

7 Tips to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

1.) Schedule Every Workout.

Don’t leave your workouts up to chance.  Sit down and plan out time for each one, and put it on your calendar.  Treat it as if it’s a very important meeting you can’t miss.  If you leave it up to chance or when you “get around to it”… you won’t.

 

2.) Eat Protein Prior to the Party.

The most dangerous thing you can do is go to a party with an empty stomach!  When you’re hungry and in an environment with all kinds of treats and indulgences, you’re more likely to make poor choices.  By filling up on lean protein prior to the party, your stomach will be satisfied, and you’ll be less affected by all of the temptations around you.

 

3.) Send Guests Away with All of the Leftovers.

If it’s not in the house, you can’t eat it!  Simple as that!  Enjoy your meals while you’re eating them, but skip the second helpings.

 

4.) Go Harder!

Hit your workouts even harder this time of year. When you know you have a party coming up, put in the extra effort to burn those extra calories.  Knowing that you worked so hard may even make you less likely to overindulge, so you don’t undo all of the progress you just made.

 

5.) Chill out on the Booze.

Two words: empty calories.  And wouldn’t you rather spend those cocktail calories on something more filling and satisfying anyways?  Keep it to a one-drink minimum or skip it all together and stay hydrated with a seltzer water and lime.

 

6.) Get an Accountability Coach!

While we’re likely to break a promise to ourselves, most people would never break a promise to someone they care about.  We hate nothing more than to disappoint the people that mean something to us.  So, find a workout buddy and accountability coach to help keep you in check this holiday season, and make a promise to them about what behaviors you will and will not engage in.

 

7.) Set a January 1 Fitness Goal.

Why wait until the New Year?  Set a health and fitness goal to be achieved BEFORE the New Year, and share it with everyone you know for extra accountability and to nix holiday weight gain.  Rather than slacking off, finish the year strong!

 

Follow these tips and holiday weight gain should be no problem for you!