Use it Don't Lose it: Holiday Strategies

The best of intentions can be undermined by holiday hoopla, with work parties, family parties, lunches and various other get-togethers leaving you short on time and long on over eating. Before it starts and you get sucked into the Kansas size whirlwind that the holidays can bring, sit down and make a plan to save your hard earned fitness. Fitness begins to diminish with-in two weeks of ceasing a fitness program. That means that your aerobic capacity begins to diminish, along with your strength and therefore your muscle mass, and along with that, your fat burners. Don?t fret yet. There are ways that you can maintain your program while freeing up some time and enjoying your holidays.
If you are not already, get up early and get your work-out in. This may be more difficult if you have been up late for a holiday function, so shorten it if necessary. Do one set of each exercise when lifting weights instead of three, and do a 20 minute aerobic session instead of 30 minutes. If you are finding that you don?t have one chunk of time to set aside, break your work-out into 2-15 minute sessions or 3-10 minute sessions. Take a walk around the block during your coffee break or at lunch time.
Combine a get-together with an activity. Instead of just having lunch with a friend, meet for a squash game, an easy run or a brisk walk, then end it with a healthy snack or light lunch. If a group is meeting at a restaurant for a social lunch or dinner, suggest that you walk as a group to your destination. You can plan ahead and have one or two vehicles parked in the parking lot to drive everyone home.
Start a new family tradition and get everyone out for a walk or run before you sit down to your Christmas dinner. Exercising before eating will increase your calorie burn and keep you from eating too much. Better yet, break your work-out time into two and go for a run before dinner and a walk afterwards.
During the holidays you can encounter food at every turn, enforcing the 7 pound weight gain the average person sees over the holidays. It only takes 500 calories a day extra ? roughly a piece of apple pie and a couple of cookies ? to gain a pound a week. The key to preventing this is to write it down. A study of those trying to lose weight found that people writing down everything they ate managed to lose 7 pounds during the holidays. This reminds you of your goal and how much you have already eaten. Monitor your food proximity, by not standing next to the buffet table. Make sure you drink lots of water by carrying a water bottle with you always. This helps you to feel full and keeps your hands and mouth occupied. Finally, treat yourself but cut the portion in half, remembering that you can only ?taste? the first 3 bites.