14 tops tips to help maintain your weight this Christmas, yet still enjoy every minute of it!
Want to know our top tips to help keep your cool, and your waistline on track this festive season? Click below to find out Raul’s TOP tips!
Did you know the average calorie intake on Christmas day is 5000! I can’t recall whether I dreamt it, or read somewhere that this is based on what people in the UK consume on Christmas Day.
Yes, I agree, it really is bonkers!
I am all for enjoying the festive season and the holidays to the fullest and making the most of the special seasonal culinary offerings that are available this time of year, yet at the same time, why can’t this go hand-in-hand with a semblance of balance? Well, the great news is, it can!
As the magic and joy of the festive season is bestowed upon us, there are so many treats and temptations on offer, from the plethora of ‘Christmas dos’, the huge range of seasonal supermarket fancies, and the delicious selection boxes, to the never ending office chocolate tubs and biscuits. With such a hectic month of Christmas parties, meals, shopping sprees and preparations, it’s only natural that in order to fit in all of this festive fun, something else in the usual already busy weekly schedule, has to give. Yes, you guessed it, this is quite often fitness, be it exercise classes, fitness sessions or personal training sessions.
So, how can we strike that semblance of balance that our bodies are yearning for, yet at the same time, still enjoy the magic and joy of everything this time of year brings?
Here are my top 14 practical, realistic and achievable tips to help you have a blast this season, yet still not lose sight of your health and fitness and maintain your shape/weight, or even, dare I say it, lose some pounds (why not?!).
1. Be selective. You may receive invites galore of Christmas parties and meals from lots of different groups of friends, colleagues and family. I’d even go as far as saying...be selfish! Why not attend only those that you really fancy? Don’t feel obliged to attend every meal or party if it isn’t your heart’s desire.
2. Balance you daily eating. This is as simple as balancing a big overindulged meal during the day, with a much lighter, healthier next meal with reduced calories. The most important thing here is to listen to your body.
3. Keep your fitness commitments. Don’t break great routines you have worked so hard to build of daily/weekly fitness sessions, just because of Christmas. Prioritising is key here, if time really is scarce, instead of cancelling your work out sessions, keep them shorter yet intense (hiit style workouts are great for this).
4. WALK MORE! Christmas shopping is a great excuse to increase your steps and rack them up on your tracker. Maybe catch the train or walk around the retail parks instead of driving.
5. Sign up for a running race. Having a goal always helps keep us focused. Although typically December isn’t the most popular month for races, there are some local ones around and a lot of them also accept children, so why not make it a fun fitness family affair?
6. Christmas morning run. Starting the day with a calorie deficit will definitely help with weight management, and will also give you a great start to the day.
7. Be selective (again!). Select the treats! Don’t limit yourself, but at the same time, don’t eat compulsively (that box of chocolates really isn’t going to run away, it will still be there tomorrow!). Select and eat the food you love. Portion control is key here.
8. Eat slowly and chew your food properly. This will make you feel full a lot quicker, hence making it least likely for your to over-eat.
9. If you drink alcohol, do that slowly too. Ensure you drink plenty of water to keep hydrated throughout the day.
10. Go for an evening walk! Don’t underestimate the power of an evening walk and how it can help you with digestion after the big Christmas feast. Not to mention it’ll also help burn some of those excess calories. This is where having a dog could help you get out and walk for just that little bit longer.
11. Sprouts, sprouts and more sprouts. They are a superfood! A very healthy vegetable packed full of vitamins and minerals. Why not add it to your weekly shopping list for the rest of the year too? (this is one I experience first hand with a 1 year old with a sprout obsession!).
12. Plan! Plan out and write down your fitness and exercise routine for the New Year IN ADVANCE. So you can hit the ground running with it straight away in the New Year without wasting any time. The longer you leave it, the longer it will take to build-up great fitness routines again.
13. Try intermittent fasting. There are different ways to do it, 5:2, 18:6, or 2 meals per day. There is plenty of information on how to do it. Fasting, although tough to begin with, will help you to burn all the excess fat, and definitely gets less challenging the more you do it.
14. Sleep. Sleep. And sleep some more. Rest your body and ensure you get enough sleep. This will help you feel fresher and more focused ready to fight for your goals.
