How To Stay Fit and Motivated During The Holidays

If you’re someone who gets excited about the holiday season, but you’re also nervous that all of the good food it brings may cause you to gain more weight than you would like, this article is just for you. Although initially you might think that you can’t indulge a bit in some of your favorite meals and treats, the reality is that you can embrace all that the holiday brings and still stay in good shape in the process.

If you’d like a few tips on how to stay fit and motivated during the holidays, here are five proven ways:

Eat Breakfast

Most people grew up being told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day – and it is. Breakfast provides your body with the nutrients that you need throughout the day, plus it’s an awesome energy boost. There are two other benefits that breakfast brings when it comes to eating during the holidays: it boosts your metabolism and also helps to curb your appetite so that you’ll snack less throughout the day.

Use Portion Control

If you’re worried that you can’t enjoy the holiday season because you’re watching your weight, you’ll be happy to read this particular first tip. The key is not to go completely without some of your favorite dishes and desserts; the key is to exhibit portion control. Having one slice of pumpkin pie is not going to totally wreck your routine; however, having four or five pieces might. So pay attention to how much you’re eating while you’re eating it. One way to do that is to fill out a food journal. Real Simple is one website that can show you how to use one. Just go to the site and put “how to keep a food journal” in the search field.

Watch what you Drink

One mistake that a lot of people make is thinking that they are watching their calories by only making sure that they don’t overeat. But the reality is that you can put on pounds with what you drink, too. This is especially the case with alcohol and sugary drinks. Again, this doesn’t mean you can’t have any. What it does mean is that for every one glass of your favorite festive drink, you should have a couple of glasses of water. Water helps to make you feel full, plus it’s a great way to flush toxins out of your body as well.

Get Some Accountability

If you were to ask a professional trainer about something that you can do to stay motivated about staying fit during the holidays, one of the things that they would probably recommend that you do is to get an accountability partner. That’s simply someone who can call you and make sure that you’re watching what you eat. They’re also someone who is willing to do a bit of exercising with you.

Don’t Forget to Exercise

Whether you have a membership at a gym like Fitness 19 or you have a treadmill inside of your home, don’t forget how important it is to get exercise. Exercising is another way to burn calories and increase your muscle tone. If you want to take a couple of days off from your workout regimen, just make sure to get some kind of cardio in. Going for a walk after dinner or doing some ice skating with family members can be a lot of fun. And as a bonus, it can also keep you in shape during the holiday season!