Christmas Day is just five days away and I would be the first to admit that this is the time to eat drink and be merry. However, you also have to try not to overdo and potentially destroy the fitness gains you made during what was possibly one of the hardest years you’ve lived through.
Despite the pandemic, ‘silly season’ is well on its way. Parties, gatherings and outings usually mean going overboard on eating, and even more overboard on the alcohol. But just because its Christmas doesn’t automatically mean you have to ruin your progress and gain an unnecessary amount of weight. With that said, here are a few tips that you can implement whenever a special occasion looms and you know you are going to splurge on calories.
1) Skipping breakfast for special occasions – This is probably the most useful tip of them all and has always worked well for me. If you know you have a big dinner or lunch to go to that will be filled with all the foods you find it hard to resist, then skipping breakfast can be a very handy tool to use so you can enjoy yourself later without the guilt.
Think about it, if you skip breakfast and save those 500 or so calories for later on, you’ll be able to enjoy yourself freely without spilling over too badly. This way you’re much more likely to stay around your daily calorie intake. This strategy can also be used the morning after your event to help give your digestive system a much needed break.
2) Get a workout in – The gyms have reopened so there is no excuse not to get a workout in. Getting to the gym early in the day can result in you having a lot of extra calories to work with (depending on the intensity.) If you don’t want to travel to a gym, a jog, or walk in the morning would also help out big time.
3) Plan ahead – Whenever I have a big event or dinner to go to. I like to roughly estimate what I’m going to eat and log it into my food tracking app. Even though it’s a rough estimate most of the time, it will increase your chances of keeping things under control once you’re there.
4) Focus on protein – Chances are if you plan on having a splurge, the majority of it is going to be filled with carbs, sugar and alcohol. To help offset this, try focusing on quality protein sources throughout the day and also while you’re at the event. This will help to keep you full and will stop you from spilling over too badly later on. Finally, don’t ignore the fruit and vegetable sides or platters at your event, you need those too.
