I believe we can all agree that the holidays are the most difficult time of year to stick to our fitness goals. Keeping up with our hectic holiday schedules, which include shopping, planning, traveling, and attending parties with an endless supply of tempting baked goods, can easily disrupt our normal eating and workout routines. It’s the ideal recipe for packing on the pounds and undoing some of your gym gains.

Instead of Losing Weight, Consider Maintaining It

Reigning in our bad eating habits early can put us in a much better position to get started on those healthy New Year’s resolutions. And last year, it was actually after Christmas that I gained the majority of my weight and found it difficult to resist the sweets I had grown accustomed to eating.

Instead of eating every meal as if it were your last, aim to maintain your weight by eating more protein and vegetables and indulging in less healthy holiday treats in moderation. If losing weight is one of your targets, get back to a tighter diet plan just after New Year.

Eat Before Leaving For Parties

Most holiday parties, as wonderful as they are, don’t always have the healthiest food options. Before you leave the house, try eating healthier whole foods at home. Even a protein bar can satisfy cravings, keep you full, and keep you from overindulging.

Keep a Food Diary to Avoid Overindulging

Knowing the nutritional information for your favorite meals and snacks can help you make better food choices and control your portions.

Downloading a nutrition app is a simple and effective way to accomplish this. They enable you to keep a tally of the nutritional information for what you eat each day. They can also assist you in tracking your choices based on if you want to maintain or lose some weight. What’s more, they can demonstrate how quickly unhealthy dietary choices can add up.

Consume Alcohol in Moderation

The holidays are a time to celebrate and drink. Aside from the standard glass of wine or pint of beer, all those extra fancy and dazzling holiday cocktails are usually high in sugar and pack a lot of calories, causing bloating and weight gain. Because the holidays only come around once a year, you should make the most of them. But keep an eye on how much you’re drinking.

Remember to Stay Hydrated

Health experts advise drinking half your body weight in ounces of water every day. Drinking water before eating can be a useful tool for maintaining and even losing weight. And at this time of year, we can use all the assistance we can get. Furthermore, if you’re drinking alcohol, make sure to drink a glass of water with each cocktail to stay hydrated and avoid hangover symptoms.

Set Workout Goals and Stick to It

It’s pointless to wait until the new year to start crushing your fitness goals. Even though avoiding all of the holiday treats may be difficult, sticking to your fitness routine can help you burn extra calories while building strength and endurance. It can also help with stress relief. However, travel and additional obligations can make it easy to neglect exercise if we do not commit to a schedule. And the shorter daylight hours make things even more difficult.

While it may appear that exercising during the holidays is a lost cause, small bursts of movement throughout the day can actually help you maintain physical and mental stamina. However, fitness should not be a stressful or forced activity during the holiday season; taking sufficient rest and time off to enjoy your family and friends is equally valuable.

When you’re ready to return to your healthier self after the new year, book a one-hour health assessment with Alchemy Personal Training and begin your personal training in Alderley Edge to help you on your fitness journey.