Have you pondered the ways to beat holiday weight gain this year since it is usually a reoccurring problem? If this is how you are feeling, I am totally with you on this. Between holiday office parties, banquets, holiday gatherings and all the festive cooking in between, for most, a five pound weight gain becomes inevitable. And who wants to be on a diet over the holidays, definitely not me! It would be hard to be at a holiday office party noshing on just celery sticks all night. So what’s a girl (or guy) to do? Minor modifications and extra activity are the most effective ways to beat holiday weight gain.
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1. Make Every Fitness Moment Count
Rather than warming your chair at the office party all night and overindulging on food, get up and get moving by dancing the night away. By getting up and dancing you will help to break the ice at the party and burn some extra calories. Also staring at a plate of food and dessert is a recipe for weight gain. So have a light meal, like a salad and some chicken and get up and get grooving. By using every fitness move when possible is one of the best ways to beat holiday weight gain.
2. Use Your Housework to Burn Mega Calories
Did you know sweeping, mopping, scrubbing, and cooking all burn calories? Make every calorie count and expend some energy by moving. By giving your house a good cleaning to prepare for your guests, you can burn 500 calories in just 2 hours. So start scrubbing to achieve spick and span success!
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3. Enjoy a Day of Ice Skating
Head to your local ice skating rink to test your inner athlete and enjoy this fun activity with your family. Did you know you can burn 500 calories in just an hour of ice skating, while having loads of fun? Ice skating is a great cardio and strengthening activity that you can enjoy while getting a workout in.
4. Sign up for a Turkey Trot
There are thanksgiving “turkey trot” races in many local neighborhoods across the United States that will start your holiday the right way. These races usually range from the 5k (3.1 miles) to 10k (6.2 miles) and it will give you an opportunity to break a sweat and bond with some new running friends. This will alleviate your stress over counting calories while you enjoy your turkey dinner.
5. Have a Family Fitness Competition
Amplify your motivation by recruiting some family members for a friendly weight loss competition. If Dad is trying to lose some pounds, mom is struggling to squeeze into her favorite jeans, it is time to have a family weight loss competition. You can base this fitness competition on body percentage lost so it makes things fair. Winner gets to cook the holiday dinner or if you do not like to cook the loser gets to cook ;-).
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6. Make Soups to Satisfy Your Appetite
Slim down with soup this holiday season. According to a recent Penn University Study, “Eating a small bowl soup before your main meal can save up to 700 calories a week.” Subjects who ate soup before lunch consumed 100 fewer calories at that meal. Just remember to be watchful of the sodium in your soup because this causes bloating. I make all my soups so I can monitor the ingredients. This is a great way to beat holiday weight gain and get plenty of vitamins and nutrients in your diet.
7. Bank Your Calories to save for a Sweet
Have you be thinking about indulging in your Aunt’s decadent Apple Cobbler all season long? You do not have to deprive yourself but you should plan for these extra calories by eating a smaller dinner. And when you have the Apple Cobbler have a small piece rather than over-indulging. Enjoy life is moderation!
Hope you have enjoyed my tips to beat holiday weight. Remember to drink plenty of water, stay active and enjoy the holiday season. Do you have any winter activities planned this year?
