The holidays get the best of us. You can be plugging along on your diet and be a steady losing streak, up in the holidays hit and your willpower dissolves. You don't have to give up your favorite party foods if you boost your exercise during the holidays, though.
Counting Calories during the Holidays
The reality is that all of your calories during the holidays count. So it's important to count them in your daily totals. Don't give up tracking your daily calories for fear of seeing an astronomically high daily total. Instead, use it to maintain a little control over your diet and see how much harder you need to work to burn excess calories.
Use a diet diary or an online tracking system, like the one available on Sparkpeople, to track every calorie you put in your mouth during the holidays. Just seeing that daily total can be a huge eye-opener. If the high end of your range is 1,600, then seeing 3500 calories for your daily total shows how off-track you are and puts you back on the right track for losing weight or maintaining during the holidays.
Boost Exercise to Burn Excess Calories
You have attended a few parties and family functions this holiday season and have eaten more than your daily allowance of calories here and there. Now what? Instead of telling yourself that you blew your diet and you will never lose the weight, you need to commit to yourself and your weight loss goals. Make a pact with yourself to boost your exercise program to help burn off the extra calories you've taken in.
You don't have to avoid all of the foods that you love during the holidays. It is important, however, to watch your portion sizes and limit the amount of times you go over your daily calorie goals. A good rule of thumb is to only take a few bites of the things you love and leave the rest, while stocking your plate with healthier choices.
Ways to Boost Exercise during the Holidays
Boost your exercise during the holidays and you may be able to eat a little more of your favorite foods.
You can boost your exercise with:
- Winter hikes
- Sledding
- Ice skating
- Bowling
- Swimming
- Indoor golf
- Increasing the intensity of your workouts
- Bonus workouts at the gym
- After dinner walks
- Training for a spring marathon
Whatever you do, include exercise as part of your family's holiday traditions and make the New Year about achieving an active lifestyle.
 |
