With the holidays just around the corner, it’s time to start planning what you’ll do during these festive times and how you’ll maintain a semblance of normalcy when one of the biggest attributes of the season is indulgence.
Especially for those who’ve worked hard all year to get fit and stay healthy, the upcoming holidays can be reason for anxiety. While you want to enjoy yourself, you also don’t want all your hard work to be undone in just a few short weeks.
Luckily, with the right plan of action, you can have a great time over the holidays without allowing your health or your body to pay the price. To help you see how this can be done, here are three ways to avoid gaining weight over the holidays.
Find Ways To Stay Active
Although many holiday festivities are centered around food, there are also many opportunities for you to stay active as well. According to Sarah Schmalbruch and Emily DiNuzzo, contributors to Insider.com, if you already have a workout regimen that you adhere to, make sure you find the time to stick to that all throughout the holiday seasons as well.
For those who don’t have an exercise routine to stick to, you can always find ways to boost your activity over the holidays through things like fun runs, touch football games, or even just physical activity with your friends and family. Just make sure, however, that you’re being safe and avoid running close to the roadways if you plan to take your exercise to the streets, as the holidays can be a dangerous time for pedestrians being struck by vehicles.
Get Your Fruits And Veggies In First
To ensure that you don’t spend all your time filling up on unhealthy foods during the holidays, it’s wise to make sure that you get your servings of fruits and veggies first prior to eating sweets or desserts.
The Cleveland Clinic advises that you try to shoot for seven servings of fruits and vegetables each day, which might mean that you’re the one bringing the veggie tray to any parties you’re attending just to make sure you’ll be able to get that healthy food first.
Make Sure You’re Drinking Enough Water
While the holidays bring with them some great drink options, many of these drinks come with an insanely high calorie count, which can quickly cause you to gain unwanted weight.
To combat this, Brianna Elliott, a contributor to Healthline.com, recommends that you make sure you’re drinking enough water to offset any other beverages you’re indulging in and to keep yourself feeling full.
If you’re worried about the holidays throwing a wrench into your health, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you avoid gaining unwanted weight during this time of year.
