If you haven’t noticed already….We harp A LOT on developing
an approach to your holiday season.

There’s good reason for this.

Did you know the average American gains 1-2lbs a year?
Doesn’t sound like much…

Until you consider the compounding effect of small, consistent,
weight gain over 5, 10, and 20 years.

10-20lbs a decade adds up over time.

You can do everything right all year, but go off the rails between
November 24 – January 1.

Let’s say you gain 8lbs. Most of that will be water weight, but
some of that weight will be fat tissue.

Once you get back on track, you lose 6lbs, for a net gain of 2lbs.

This is the pattern we see so often. Long periods of adherence
to fitness and nutrition strategies, followed by small period of
time without consistent exercise, over-indulgence, and minor
weight gain.

Next thing you know, we’re 5 years down the road, 10lbs
heavier, and have no idea what happened.

You don’t have to be perfect this Holiday season. Quite frankly,
we don’t even recommend trying. Live your live. Enjoy your
families.

Just do some planning.

Here are a few steps to take this Holiday season to avoid those
1-2lbs.

1.Plan Your Workouts. Your week will be
different than most weeks. Some have more
time, some will have less. Either way, the
change in routine can make it easy to let
exercise fall by the wayside. Build your
workouts into your schedule like you would
any other meeting or priority. I like to
hammer a tough workout on Holiday
mornings, so all those extra calories are
more likely to be utilized by my body for
recovery. The day after a holiday, I like to
schedule a lighter workout where the goal is
simply to break a sweat.

2.Save Your Calories. If you know you’re going
to be taking in extra calories later in the day,
that morning is not the time for pancakes
and bacon. Stick to lean protein and
fruit/veggies throughout the day, and save
the calorically dense foods for your holiday
dinner/dessert.

3.Pick one. Booze or dessert. The combination
of both makes it really hard to keep calories
anywhere in check. If you stick to just one,
you give yourself a chance.

4.Move. Don’t sit on your butt all day if you’re
going to over-indulge. Get a morning walk.
Take a 10-minute after dinner walk. Don’t
over-think it. Just find a way to MOVE!