Christmas Day is in three days and the New Year is just around the corner.
I admit that this is the time to eat, drink and be merry. However, there is difference between that and bingeing, which will potentially destroy the fitness gains you made during the year.
Christmas parties, gatherings and social outings usually mean going overboard on eating, and even more overboard on the alcohol.
But just because it’s December doesn’t automatically mean you have to ruin your progress and gain an unnecessary amount of weight. With that said, here are a few strategies that I like to implement whenever a special occasion looms and I know I’m going to splurge on calories.
1) Skipping breakfast for special occasions
This is probably the most useful tip of them all and has always worked well for me. If you know you have a big dinner or lunch to go to that will be filled with all the foods, then skipping breakfast can be a very handy tool to use so you can enjoy yourself later without the guilt.
Why? Well think about it, if you skip breakfast and save those 500 to 600 calories for later on, you’ll be able to enjoy yourself freely without spilling over too badly. This way you’re much more likely to stay around your daily calorie intake. This strategy can also be used the morning after your event to help give your digestive system a much-needed break.
2) Get a workout in
Getting to the gym early in the day can result in you having a lot of extra calories to work with (depending on the intensity.) Even if you’re actually on holiday and don’t have access to a gym, a walk or run in the morning would also help out big time.
3) Log in advance
Whenever I have a big event or dinner to go to. I like to roughly estimate what I’m going to eat and log it into my food tracking app. Even though it’s a rough estimate most of the time, it will increase your chances of keeping things under control once you’re there
4) Focus on protein
Chances are if you plan on having a splurge, the majority of it is going to be filled with carbs, sugar and alcohol. To help offset this, try focusing on quality protein sources throughout the day. This will help to keep you full and will stop you from spilling over too badly later on.
I hope this helps. Be sure to ‘gift’ this article to someone who needs some holiday advice.
