I asked my pal and fitness guru Amy Leach to give us some tips on how to stay healthy during the tempting holiday season. Read below for her awesome advice!
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| Amy Leach is the Fitness Center Manager at TCC's Metro Campus |
Does the holiday season get you just as
excited about food as it does for me? It’s that time of year when it’s "OK" to
go off your diet or workout regime because this time only happens once a year,
right? Well, as many of you know, this once-a-year-eating-fest usually turns
into two to three months of binging on all of your grandma’s favorite recipes.
Let’s see, there’s candy corn at Halloween; turkey, green bean casserole and
pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving; and anything sweet and fattening around Christmas!
With all this said, and likely known by you
already, what is a person to do – stay on your diet throughout the holidays and
be miserable or let the diet slide during the holidays and be miserable? It’s
almost a lose-lose situation, especially in regards to your workout regime. I
personally find it extremely hard to get motivated to workout when it’s 20
degrees outside and I am sleeping all comfy in my warm bed. And let’s not
forget the crazy Oklahoma weather! It might be 60 out one day and then a
blizzard may hit the next day. With weather like this, no wonder it’s hard to
stay on track with any healthy lifestyle. The last time we got snowed in last
year, the only thing to do was nap, bake cookies, nap, eat cookies and eat more
cookies! Sound familiar?? So let’s start our strategizing now BEFORE all these
wonderful and not-so-wonderful things occur.
I am extremely active and in decent shape, but
I, too, struggle with these everyday situations. Here are my tips to get you
motivated to stay on track while still enjoying everything pleasant about the
holiday season.
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Remember, family is one of the best
parts of the holiday season. Focus on family, friendship, and laughter – not
solely on food. Life is too short - wouldn’t you rather spend quality time with
those you love as opposed to pulling up a chair to the buffet table? Think
about it…
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As all the magazines and popular
health websites suggest, moderation is key! One thing I did last year at
Thanksgiving was filled my plate with tons of veggies (and I didn’t mind if they
were covered in butter or not), then I added some white turkey and a few
samples of the other side dishes. Lastly for dessert, I made an apple pie with
a can of lower sugar apples (of course natural would have been better but who has
time to cut and peel them) mixed with Truvia (a natural sugar substitute),
cinnamon and apple pie spice, and for the crust I used fat-free butter, whole
wheat flour, oatmeal and a few graham crackers. That way I knew what was in it
and didn’t feel as guilty about over-indulging.
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Another tip is to go for a family walk
or participate in a game outdoors. Again, last year my sister and I went for a
walk after dinner and it was great because we bonded, vented about annoying
family members and burned off a few calories in the process.
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Lastly, don’t beat yourself up if you
do over-indulge (which we all are going to do from time to time). Get up early
the next day and do some push-ups, squats and jumping jacks at your house. If
weather permits, go out for a jog or head to the gym for a quick 30 minute
cardio and/or weights session. Christmas shopping is another way to burn some
calories. Just remember to park far away from the entrance (probably won’t be
too hard to do with all the traffic), take the stairs when possible and drink
plenty of water.
Good luck and
have a wonderful holiday season!
