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Oct 28

Tips & Tricks: How to keep the pounds at bay during the holidays ;)

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Holidays can be pretty challenging and with Halloween almost here (& Thanksgiving, Christmas, & New Years not too far behind). I wanted to share a few of my strategies to indulge and still maintain your size & shape ;). I am totally not about deprivation and I love to eat certain holiday classics my Mom or other family/friends make this time of year so it is all about balance & planning.  Here are a few easy things I always do:

*The day before, the day of (if possible), and the day after I am planning on attending a celebration, hitting up a fun family event, or hosting a holiday party I try to get in a workout.  I like to crank my cardio and weight lifting up a notch by doing an extra set or a few more minutes of cardio (if time allows).  Just try going a little longer or harder with whatever your current exercise routine is.  Sweating up a storm can help you burn off some extra calories which minimizes the affect any extra decadent treats or drinks may have on your waistline.  Sometimes it can be difficult to squeeze in a workout the day of an event but even if I can’t fit in a traditional workout I usually squeeze in some exercises throughout the day whether it is a few lunges here, a few push-ups there, some planks, a short walk around the block.  In the sweaty picture above I was doing lunges with glute kickbacks (made harder with the addition of ankle weights) and overhead presses with dumbbells all in one move.  I was short on time & able to hit a lot of muscles at once with this move which helped shorten my workout!  (Keep your eyes peeled because I am going to start sharing my workouts once a week so you can follow along if you want to try my training style ;).

*Bring a healthier version to share at a party or get together!  I love to cook obviously but even if you don’t there are so many easy and yummy healthier recipes or products out there that even a non chef can whip up 😉  Bring these to the party or get together or just make them for your own counter.  I definitely indulge in other foods at parties but having a healthier food you made is also a great addition.  You don’t have to tell people it’s healthy by the way!  I have had many dishes that people enjoyed without a clue that I chopped a ton of crappy calories, fat, & carbs off them ;). Plus if there are leftovers you get to take your healthy food home so you don’t have to worry about that temptation lol!

*I always do a form of calorie/carb cycling by cutting back a little on carbs & calories the day before & after a big event where I know I will indulge (Thanksgiving for instance).  This may sound confusing but it is pretty simple to do.  For example on those days instead of toast & peanut butter I would eat an egg white scramble with veggies, instead of a banana I would eat carrots and celery, instead of rice on the side I would have roasted veggies like zuccini, peppers, and onions.  Basically I am subbing out higher carb/higher calorie items for lower carb/lower calorie options.  Doing this can really work in your favor and minimize a higher calorie/higher carb occasion.  It is easy & fairly painless to do since it is only a couple days.  (PS-I do offer nutrition assistance online as I know this can be confusing.  Contact me for more info if you are interested)

 

I hope a few of these tips that I personally use may be helpful to you in having a healthier but still happy holiday season 😉

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