It’s the most wonderful time of the year…! The holiday season is officially here, which means lots of activities! Holiday socializing brings plenty of special food, treats, and drinks, and combined with the stress of a busy schedule creates = the dreaded holiday weight gain! Don’t let it happen to you! Here are some helpful tips to say healthy and happy throughout the upcoming weeks:

Focus on your Goals: Reminding yourself (daily) about your fitness and healthy goals will help you stay accountable. Think about all the hard work you’ve put in this year…don’t let it all go to waste in one month! Set weekly challenges that will be motivating and a reminder of your long term goals. Remember, this is your lifestyle, and that your health and fitness is a priority!

Stay Consistent: Being consistent with your exercise will keep you on track and help counteract the holiday treats. Schedule your workouts and your food prep into your calendar and treat them like any other “appointment”.  Break up your workouts and fit it in anywhere you can! Something is better than nothing 🙂

Be Mindful: The temptations at work, home, parties etc. are omnipresent during this time of year. Just because the food is there, doesn’t mean you have to eat it! If you do decide to indulge, start with small portions and pick your favorite items that you will truly enjoy. Don’t go overboard and remember that there will be plenty of other opportunities all season long!

Learn to say NO: Shopping, parties, fundraisers, volunteering, exercise, food prep…you won’t be able to do it all! Prioritize the most important events (hopefully exercise is one of them :)) and don’t feel guilty saying no to the others. Getting stressed can lead to frustration, emotional eating, and blowing off your healthy habits. Remember, this is a time for FUN! On another note, be confident with saying no to the holiday temptations. YOU are in control!

More Tips:

• Start a fitness challenge with your family, friends or coworkers. Plan to do a holiday fundraiser run/walk, workout gym dates, or even a competition on who can lose the most weight/inches…some friendly competition never hurt!
• Be as physically active as possible. Park as far away from the stores as possible and keep a brisk walk when shopping. Do exercises during commercials when you are watching Xmas specials. Take the stairs whenever possible. Be creative!
• Don’t go to a holiday party starving. Eat small clean snack beforehand, like a hardboiled egg and raw almonds, so you don’t over eat and drink at the event.
• When attending the parties, Survey all of the food beforehand, and then choose what you really want to eat first. Ask yourself, “Which do I want the most?” Play favorites with your foods so you are not depriving yourself yet still being mindful.
• Try a circuit style exercise routine that keeps your heart rate up and burning calories. Add in plyometrics during your resistance training or intervals during your cardio session for extra calorie burn.
• Burn more calories by adding an extra 5-15 minutes to each cardio session. What’s an extra 10 minutes? This will help counteract the extra holiday treats even more as well.

Enjoy the season in MODERATION-keep your portions small and have your other meals light and clean. Keep a consistent workout schedule; work hard and keep them intense! There can be a balance between work and play…it starts with a positive attitude and plan! Finish up the year strong and start off the New Year with a BANG!