I know holiday parties are going to look a little different this year and some of you might stay away from them completely. But, for those of you that will be attending some socially distant holiday get togethers (or even if what you’re attending is just your own family’s holiday cooking time), here are a few quick tips to avoid putting on what has come to be known as “The Holiday 15.”
One thing we know for sure to expect during the holidays are sweets and drinks. I’m sure you’ve experienced it before, but week after week of indulging in these things can leave you wishing you got a new pair of pants for Christmas. So, what are some ways you can avoid gaining those extra pounds from all the eggnog and cookies?
Well, for one thing you can exercise…AFTER you eat all the junk. It’s often a thought we have that if I’m going to indulge in a bunch of stuff I know I shouldn’t, I should probably workout a whole lot BEFORE the treats. This is actually the OPPOSITE of what you want to do. You see when we take in excess calories we have plenty of glucose that is looking to get stored as fat tissue, whether you just worked out or not, that glucose CANNOT stay floating around in your blood. However, the good thing is that all that glucose is easily accessible (meaning it’s ready to be burned) if you go do something before you eat again. I’m not saying you have to leave the holiday party and go straight to the gym, but definitely plan on waking up with some exercise before you go eat anything else.
This naturally leads into the idea of fasting before or after holiday indulgences. The wise decision would be to fast AFTER you indulge. If you decide to fast before, you’re basically doing all that work for nothing. When we fast our blood sugar drops, this in turn forces our bodies to access some glucose from our fat tissue or muscle. But, if you stop your fast with a bunch of sugary stuff and alcohol, you’ve completely killed whatever momentum you had. Your body will recognize that more glucose is coming in abundance and will shut down this fat burning process. This is why you should indulge and then plan on fasting AFTERWARDS. You’re going to ingest an excess amount of calories anyway. You should make those calories work overtime in essence. Plan a fast of at least 10 hours coupled with some exercise after and it will minimize the hit your waist takes.
This leads us to our last recommendation. The real problem with any holiday party or food in general for that matter is overdoing it. Never a good idea, especially at the socially distant office Christmas gathering. If the holiday eating or indulences are in the evening, make an effort throughout the day to eat mostly protein (animal sources) ONLY. This will make you feel slightly full before arriving. You’ll feel less hunger and will more than likely not overdo it.
As always and even more this year, be safe during the holidays and be sure to give yourself the gift of health and fitness in the New Year!
To learn more about taking control of your health and nutrition as we look to the new year, contact us to set up a time to discuss your questions and a plan.