Create a workout and eating plan to get ahead of the holidays

You many have heard wellness gurus say something like, “It’s not what you eat from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, but what you eat from New Year’s Day to Thanksgiving that really matters.”

Anyone who has gone off the rails during the holidays knows that’s not completely accurate. What you eat, and your activity level, during the holidays can be greatly impacted by family celebrations, travel, and work schedule disruptions.

Just two months of indulgent food and crazy schedules can send the best-laid workout plan way off track, so now is the time to plan ahead for the craziness of the holidays. Use these tips to create a plan of action that keeps you accountable – and also gives you a little grace.

1: Keep it real

One of the worst parts of falling off the healthy living wagon is all the guilt we heap on ourselves. Decide now that you’ll be real about your workouts. Leave guilt behind – it’s not the best motivator.

2: Give yourself workout options

This article offers great tips for planning daily exercise around where you’ll be if you’re visiting family. No one wants to miss out on family time, but by doing some bodyweight exercises or planning a quick walk or jog session as part of your travel routine, you’ll keep your energy up and not feel so bad about all those carbs at dinner.

3: Drink water

Drinking water is a strategy that can help you avoid lots of travel-related digestive woes and loss of energy. When you’re dehydrated, it’s also easy to mistake the body’s cues for hunger, a recipe for disaster with all that rich holiday food around.

Check out these tips for telling the difference. Sip some water while you read.

4: Eat everything you want (just not as much of it)

Sure, you can load up your plate with half salad and one-quarter white meat turkey, then put all the carby stuff in one little corner. But, will you do the same thing for round two?

Here’s a plating strategy for Thanksgiving and other red-flag holiday meals.

Start with green veggies and lean meat. Then remember that only the first bites of anything you’re eating taste really good. Make a plate of three-bite servings of all your favorites and have at it.

5: Establish a baseline

The scale tells many of us how we did over the holidays, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. Start with a baseline FIT 3D Scan to learn a lot about your current body fat percentage, metabolism, and lots of other measurements that will give you a complete picture of where you are right now.

Here’s a video that shows how FIT 3D Scans work.

What’s even better is that FIT 3D Scans are complimentary for Etage Athletic Club members who purchase a personal training package. You can sign up, get scanned, and then meet with your trainer before the holidays to create a plan so that you don’t lose any ground before January.

Learn more and get ahead of the post-holiday slump. You can do this. Let’s make a plan.