The holidays are coming up soon and everybody knows what that means: lots and lots of holiday feasting. After four months of college cuisine, a home cooked meal is like eating at a five-star restaurant. No more ramen. No more peanut butter and jellies. No more cafeteria food. Not only do we get to enjoy great food, we get to relax and take a break from endless hours spent in the library and frantically running from class to class. As we are enjoying our time off, it is important to stay fit and healthy. Here are a few ways to enjoy this holiday season without indulging too much!
1. Avoid binging at holiday parties
People tend to not eat at all when they have a party to go to at night, then once they arrive to the party, they are starving. It is best to snack throughout the day so that once you get to the party, you aren’t starving to the point where you are shoving food down your throat. You’ll be able to enjoy the holiday treats more as well. Another tip, don’t hang out at the appetizer table at the party, you’re more likely to eat more there while chatting with friends.
2. Plan workouts
Workout in the morning and you will be more likely to make wiser food choices throughout the day. If it’s cold where you live, try doing workouts that are easy to do at home. You’re more likely to not go to the gym when it’s cold out so try scheduling at-home workouts. Another tip is to sign up for the turkey trot in your town, that way you have more motivation to stay in shape once thanksgiving comes around.
3. Avoid gravy, dressing and high-calorie condiments
You can still enjoy your holiday feasts without drenching your turkey in gravy. If your mom dried out the turkey and it really needs some sort of sauce, try ketchup, mustard or low-fat gravy. Instead of covering your salads with high-calorie dressing, just use balsamic vinaigrette and a little bit of olive oil.
4. Make it a family event
You’ll be with sisters, brothers and cousins. Have them join you while working out. Go on runs together, make healthy recipes together and keep each other motivated. Stay active by playing in the snow with your younger cousins and siblings, skiing and snowboarding.
5. Keep track of your food and workouts
Keeping a food journal really does help you keep in mind what you’ve been eating and makes you more aware of your diet. Verizon’s FitBit Flex is a great tool to use. The FitBit Flex is a thin band worn around your wrist. It’s perfect when wanting to keep track of what you’re eating, sleeping patterns, how many calories you’ve burned and the amount of steps you take daily. The stats sync wirelessly right to your smartphone because you’re using the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network. On the app, you can enter what you’ve eaten and it will calculate your calories for you. This way you will be more aware of what you’re eating and all the information is on your phone.
6. Choose wisely when it comes to drinks and desserts
Make sure you only go to the dessert table once and choose wisely. There will be a lot of options. Some desserts are secretly packed with more calories than you think. Another tip, stay away from the specialty drinks at coffee shops and bars. Even though they are drinks, they are extremely fattening, and as they say: don’t drink your calories.
