The holidays are upon us!
We all know the feeling of getting derailed from our fitness program with holidays and subsequent holiday parties. Below we have some tips that can help you get to New Years successfully.
1. Set Your Intention:
It’s a good idea to make a contract with yourself on how you want to get through the holiday season. This can look different for everyone, but the idea is that you have set your goal so you are more likely to stick to it. Do you want to continue to improve your fitness through this season, or are you going to switch to a maintenance period? Pick your goal before you sit down to Thanksgiving dinner. This puts you in control and you will have better success sticking to your plan.
2. Slow Down Your Intake:
This may seem like an obvious one, but it’s very effective and we wanted to add a little context. Two beneficial effects take place when you slow down how fast you consume your meal. First, you allow enough time for your digestive system to signal your brain that you are full. This signal has about a 15-20 minute lag period, which could mean the difference between feeling satiated versus feeling uncomfortably stuffed and lying on the couch (we’ve been there). Second, slowing down your plate to mouth AMRAP allows you to stay out of your sympathetic “fight or flight” response. Rest, relax, and enjoy yourself.
3. Eat Something Before:
Don't plan to cash in your daily calories all in one go. Eat a light healthy meal before you go and drink plenty of water. This will prevent you from binge eating at the party.
4. Manage Your Plate:
Go for the veggies! Picture your plate as a pie chart. Shoot for 50% vegetables, 25% starches (potatoes, rolls, etc.), 25% protein. Depending on your goals, if you opt for a second helping then just go back for a taste of your favorites. Don't load the whole plate up again.
5. Get A Workout In:
A pre meal workout will go a long way in buffering the extra calories. Try to attend a morning workout at you CrossFit box or do a turkey trot 5k. If you are traveling check out our Flight Fit program. Some of the workouts are posted on our Instagram story highlight or you can purchase all 30 workouts here. The extra calories that you may be eating over the holidays also puts you in a good position to really push your workouts. It’s possible to use those surplus calories to build muscle.