Many of us have been trying to find the secret to keep us skinny over the holidays. While pumpkin pie and gravy mashed potatoes are on the menu this Thursday let's not forget about that spring break. Every spring we try to squeeze into our freshman year bathing suit in March after we've packed on the pounds from Thanksgiving to Valentine's Day. Keep that perfect body in mind with these 5 steps for the holidays.
1. Eat and drink responsibly before the holidays. We often forget that eating Chipotle and going out for beers with our friends the day before Thanksgiving may not be in our benefit. According to a study conducted by The New York Times "typical" Chipotle order (a meat burrito with cheese, salsa, lettuce, sour cream, rice, and beans) has a little more than 1,000 calories, includes almost a full day's worth of sodium, and 75 percent of your daily recommended amount of saturated fat." Keep in mind that one beer contains roughly 154 calories. Grabbing a six-pack and food is definitely not the thing to do when you're meeting up with old friends from high school.
2. Hit the gym! Don't make your first trip to the gym after your Thanksgiving meal, go as much as often as you can. It is important that we're as active as possible. While we are no longer swimming at the community pools, riding our bikes and running it is important that we stay active. Even 30 minutes in the gym three days a week is enough activity to show results. Remember this is not a mission to be skinny it's just a reminder to stay fit.
3. Eat moderately. Slow down this is not a race to finish your plate. Although it's delicious and grandma only makes sweet potato pie once a year remember it takes twice as long to burn off the calories. Often our eyes are bigger than our stomachs and it may seem that we have room for that second plate or just a little more turkey, it takes our brains 20 minutes to acknowledge that your belly is full. Really not a smart idea to eat all you can in an hour.
4. Suggest a friendly active game after your holiday meal. A game of flag football or just dance can be seen as an active. Each family has its own tradition but change it up this year for your sake as well as your families.
5. Go work out the day after you eat your holiday meal. Before the shopping starts hit your local gym, even if it's just for your 30 minute routine. It's extremely important that you burn those calories after indulging. Treat the holiday meals like a cheat day.
Keep these five steps in mind during the holiday season and your body will be ready to go for spring break!
