Christmas spirit (and new year’s now too!) is in the air! The hustle and bustle, the visiting, the giving & receiving, the PARTIES! Oh so many parties! We all know that with the parties comes the food, drinks and treats. Now for myself and my Sherwood Park Hot Mamas, we have just finished Body Smarts. Our 12 week nutrition program of learning, eating so healthy and feeling the most amazing we have EVER felt! AMAZING I tell you!(when you feel this good you need to shout). Now here comes the big bad holiday season to ruin it all right?? WRONG! Whether you have completed this program, have been making a conscious effort to become healthier or just want to avoid all the unnecessary pounds during the holiday season, read on for some tips and tricks!
1) Create a Group challenge for accountability and support!
Get your friends, family and hubby on board. Create a group text, private facebook group or whatever you can think of where you can share your progress and workouts! When you post that you’ve done a workout or something active it is very likely that you will motivate others to do so as well! (and vice versa). Take photos of how much water you’ve drank during the day to show the others to get their buns in gear! Having friends and family on board helps make it fun! (Ahem… I also know of a great community. I think it’s called…. Hot Mama?).
2) Set Goals before the holidays.
You know if you’re traveling and what your schedule looks like (for the most part) so take your calendar and mark down the days you will complete a workout and what type (even for 2 weeks in advance!). If you are out of town there are MANY quick workouts you can do sans equipment. Then when you look at your calendar there will be no guessing or forgetting. No excuses.
3) Buy a new outfit.
Don’t get me wrong I love me a good pair of leggings and comfy tee but sporting these articles permanently will leave you feeling like all of the food you’re consuming is not doing any damage to your waistline. Purchase something new to show off your Hot Mama self, or wear your “Christmas Best”. Doing so will make you feel like a million bucks and in turn will deter you from continually dipping into the treats.
4) Bring a dish or dessert you KNOW is healthy
My personal choice would be the dessert! There are TONS of recipes for yummy desserts with no added sugars and pack way less of a punch in the calorie department. This way you are helping AND you can enjoy your dessert too! Make sure to knock everyone’s socks off my telling them AFTER they have eaten it that it’s a healthy choice!
5) Balance your calories throughout the day
Ensuring that you are dispersing your calories throughout the day is super important. You do not want to “save” your calories for the party or event you are going to. That will lead to over indulging and will set you back even further. Eating a well balanced diet and drinking plenty water throughout the day will avoid that ravenous feeling that you will experience if you save it all for the evening (let’s face it, it’ll be super embarrassing if you take a bite out of the hosts arm mistaking it for a chocolate log).
6) Don’t punish yourself for an Off Day
The moral of the story is…. it’s the holidays. Indulging and enjoying yourself is always in the cards and should be done in moderation! Remember that the next day you should resume your normal, healthy eating patterns (3 meals a day with 2-3 snacks in between, 2-3L of water and a mix of grains/starches, fruits and veggies, protein, fats and dairy). Do not restrict yourself the next day because you over indulged the day before. Your body needs that indulgence once in a while and also needs fuel to get you through the day! A healthy diet with indulging here and there will not impact the progress of your goals.
Ok Mamas, there you have it. I wish you a very fabulous, fun and sweat filled holiday season! If you are already a part of the Hot Mama community or have yet to take the plunge, do it. We rock (yes I am tooting our horn), we are supportive and we get it. We are all Mamas. See you in the New Year lovelies!
Guestblogger: Ashley Giordano, Owner & Hot Mama
Hot Mama Health & Fitness – Sherwood Park
Connect with Ashley via email: ashley@hotmamafit.com
