It's that time of year again and people are already starting to plan the Christmas feasts. Even people I know that practice other religions are out and about at Christmas parties partaking of the feasts and sweets. This season we've got some great advice on how you can enjoy this time of year without having to kill yourself in the gym in the new year to lose the holiday pounds!

Our strategy for keeping lean of the holidays is a simple one...

1. The Feasts - When it comes to the big dinners that often go with the holiday season all you have to do to counter balance the indulgences at night is to make sure you're very strict during the day. Eat light. Minimize your carbs and sweets during the day and that will help you to have a more balanced approach to the holidays. You'll still get to enjoy yourself without having to put on the extra pounds.
2. The Drinking - For those of you who like to drink alcohol during the holidays try to mix it up with a non-alcoholic mix. For example, if you have one glass of wine have a perrier to follow. If a perrier is too bland than add cranberry juice or something else to spruce it up! By offsetting your drinking you won't make a fool of yourself and it will be easier for you to continue training during the holidays, or, if that's a complete bust, it won't be as difficult for you to start your engines in the new year. As a bonus...you probably won't put on the extra pounds either!!
3. The Sweets - Enjoy the sweets, but make sure you only have sweets at certain times of the day. Don't start snacking throughout the whole day. Often times during the holidays we're just sitting around with too much free time on our hands so we end up stuffing our faces with all the wrong stuff. Only allow yourself to have the sweets following dinner. This way you still can indulge but not too much. Best thing to do to avoid the sweet though is to get up and get active. It doesn't mean that you have to hide in the gym but it could mean going for a walk with the family.
4. The Rest & Relaxation - We all work so hard during the year that when we do get a chance to take a load off duing the holidays, we tend to rest too much. If you don't plan on making it out to the gym over the holidays you can at least maintain a basic training regime at home that will help you make it back into the gym without too much pain. Simply do a 3 sets of push ups, sit ups, squats, and slow kicks for a total of 1 minute for each set. It's not a lot, but...it's better than nothing. As a bonus, get out of the house and get active wherever possible. If it's not the gym than go for a walk or build a snow fort with the kids.

For the last 15 years I've watched members of the gym come back from the holidays 10 to 15 pounds heavier, and sadly...sometimes more than that. Let's see if we can make a difference this year.

As always...

Yours in Health and Wellness!

John McMahon