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Just because it’s the holidays doesn’t mean your fitness goals no longer matter. If you lose sight of your fat loss goals entirely this month, you’ll have a seriously rude awakening come January 1st.
I have a better idea for you…let’s keep you focused on your fitness goals while making room for some fun this holiday season. This means that you’ll need to learn how to indulge with control. While that may sound like an oxymoron, it IS possible to let loose and enjoy without throwing away the results you’ve worked so hard for. Here’s how to stay fit this holiday season:
Holiday Fitness Tip #1: Find Your Focus
The holidays will happen. You will a lot eat things from the “eat less” list, and you will drink more that you should…but now it’s over.
Draw a line in the sand. Get a hold of your unfocused eating and drinking to not go overboard during the season.
If you’re serious about your fitness goals, then the next few weeks will be the exception, and not the rule. Don’t beat yourself up for letting loose. Simply get back up, dust yourself off and get focused.
Holiday Fitness Tip #2: Schedule Your Days
Surely the holiday season can get overwhelming with extra items on your to-do list. That’s what makes it so easy to toss healthy activities aside. But when you schedule your days, you can find time for both your seasonal activities and your healthy lifestyle.
Make time to prepare healthy meals and schedule in regular workouts. Scheduling and following a healthy plan can help you prevent stress, but it’s also important to promote a work/life balance to prevent an overabundance of responsibilities that can lead to additional stress.
Holiday Fitness Tip #3: It’s All About Moderation
Don’t try to deprive yourself of all the foods you love. This is unrealistic. Instead, be smart about what you choose to eat. Enjoy your very favorite flavors of the season but in moderation.
Trim calories where you can by only eating those rich foods that you really enjoy.
Also, be sure to limit the number of alcoholic beverages you drink. These drinks are typically filled with tons of sugary calories. Try alternating an alcoholic drink with a non-alcoholic drink like sparkling water.
Holiday Fitness Tip #4: Fiber is Your Friend
Here’s a simple tip that most people overlook when loading up their plates at holiday gatherings…fill up on fiber first. You see if you are eating a plate that’s mostly fibrous vegetables and greens, leaving only a moderate amount of room for dishes full of fats and carbs. Your net calorie intake for the meal will be dramatically lower than if you had eaten more of the carb and fat dishes.
While this tip is super effective during the holidays, it’s also a technique that you can carry with you throughout the rest of the year to stay lean while still indulging in what you love. The key is to eat less of the rich, fattening foods and more of the lower-calorie, high-fiber foods.
Holiday Fitness Tip #5: Exercise is a MUST
Many people let their workouts go to the wayside during the busy holiday weeks. However, I am here to tell you how important it is that you keep your workouts a priority. I know it’s harder to get into the gym when it’s cold outside and when you’re tired from getting ready for the holidays, but lacing up your shoes, sweating, and getting the endorphins flowing greatly impact your overall fitness.
Not only are you burning calories and stoking your metabolism, but by exercising every day you are keeping fitness at the forefront of your mind. It may sound like a small thing, but getting into the gym forces you to remember your fitness goals, and this small act will help you make better decisions throughout the rest of your day.
All of these small efforts add up, my friend, and you can do them all without sacrificing the season's fun or flavors.
You can do this!
I am passionate about seeing my clients achieve and maintain those results throughout the holiday season.
Call or email today to get started on my best available program.
Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Dates
The holidays are filled with opportunities to get too far away from your healthy habits by indulging in rich foods and consume far more calories than normal. Add to that the travel, house guests, and gatherings that cut into your workout routine. It’s no wonder you’re left in a state of being overfed and under-exercised. It’s a recipe for weight gain! However, you do not have to sit by and accept the extra pounds. Do these simple tips to help swing the calorie balance back into your favor.
Eat slowly and to "satisfied" instead of "stuffed.
Drink a healthy Super Shake instead of going without meals.
Play close attention to your calorie and portion intake.
Exercise a minimum of 4 days each week.
Come workout with me, all through the holiday season!
Our healthy diets can often fly out the window when it comes to appetizers, so I really like these stuffed dates. While this is a treat and not something to include in your daily diet, each date contains protein, fat, and complex carbs.
Additionally, these ingredients are wholesome and simple, not deep-fried, and do not contain a laundry list of additives and fillers.
A word of advice: make a double batch! These disappear quickly...
Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com
What you needServings: 24
12 bacon strips, uncured pork
24 Dates (get the kind with pits, these are softer)
½ cup Goat Cheese
24 walnut halves
24 toothpicks
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the bacon strips in half, width-wise.
2. Remove the seed from each date and stuff with a teaspoon of goat cheese and a walnut. Squish it together.
3. Wrap each stuffed date with a piece of bacon. Secure with a toothpick and place on the prepared baking sheet. (You can store in the fridge up to a day once wrapped. It’s nice to make the day before your party!)
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the bacon is cooked through and crispy.
Enjoy immediately!
Nutrition
One Wrapped Date equals:
96 calories
6g fat
237mg sodium
6g carbohydrate
1g fiber
5g sugar
5g protein.
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