10 Tips To Stay Fit & Healthy Over The Xmas Break
The holiday season is a time of celebration filled with family, friends and most importantly, food. The crazy thing about Christmas is that we plan to overeat, and we think this is quite normal as that’s how we celebrate. If we don’t indulge, we feel like we have missed out. Remember, Christmas is one day and one day only. Relax, enjoy your break and try not to undo all the hard work you put in during this year. The occasional splurge is fine, but not when it lasts for two weeks or two months.
My 10 tips to stay fit and healthy over
the Xmas break:
- Do not skip meals - It doesn’t matter if you wake up late; still eat
your breakfast a later lunch and then a light dinner.
- Make
smart choices - If you know you are going to eat out for
lunch or dinner, try and eat sensibly for the rest of the day.
- Stay active- If you are
not heading to the gym or doing your regular workouts, you could take a
more social approach and get active with friends or family. Go for a walk,
a swim or grab a friend and go for a hike, play a team sport with family
or try a new activity.
- Mindful eating
- Slowing down while eating and enjoying the taste and texture of
food allows more time for fullness signals to travel from the stomach to
the brain. This process can take up to 20 minutes to occur.
- Keep
grazing under control - It’s quite easy to get carried away with
a brimming platter board when you are chatting away with family. If you
are not sure how to control yourself, grab your own small plate and fill it up with your favourite cheeses, crackers and fruit. That way you have control of how much to eat.
- Avoid
going hungry to parties - Whether it be a work Christmas
party, a get together with friends or Christmas lunch, try and
avoid leaving home on an empty stomach. Turning up to a party hungry means
you are more likely to over-indulge on energy-dense party foods. Before
leaving home try and make yourself a quick nutritious snack to avoid
eating extra unhealthy foods.
- Get
a good night’s sleep - For many of us, the end of the year includes lots of gatherings which can often lead to late nights, excessive drinking and feeling fatigued. Being sleep deprived can lead to unhealthy food choices and other health
problems, including hormone imbalances.
- Keep
track of your alcohol - Alcohol is more often than not an
‘essential’ for many Australian households during the festive season but
having one too many champas can certainly lead to a nasty hangover in the
morning and some unwanted weight gain.
- Keep
hydrated - With all the extra alcohol consumption over the
holiday season, water can become your best friend. Being
well-hydrated is essential to good health and can boost your
wellbeing. One of the signs of dehydration is sudden food cravings,
and this is because your body is mistaking hunger for thirst. Make
sure you are drinking water throughout the day during the holiday season,
including when you are attending events or parties.
- Set
new goals and plan for success- The holidays are a busy period
for many people, but it is also a great time to reflect on the year that
passed and plan for the year ahead. Use this time to think about your
goals for the next 12 months and what you need to do to achieve them — and then schedule
in the time to make sure you reach them. Taking the time to plan is a
vital element to successfully achieving any goals you have in life.
Eating in moderation means to eat healthy nutritious foods
most of the time and to be able to indulge in pleasurable foods without any
guilt on special occasions. Staying healthy over Christmas doe not have to mean
that everything slightly unhealthy is off-limits. It’s important to treat
yourself from time to time and Christmas is a perfect opportunity.
I wish you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
totalfitnesstraining.com.au
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