BURN Fitness
101: How to Control Holiday Fat Gain!
Holiday eating is always an issue with people who are watching the scale. Between parties, Thanksgiving, Christmas/Hanukah, football games, New Years, alcohol, cookies, pies… it’s a nightmare! So how do you make it through until January without adding to your waistline?
First, be realistic! Most of us ARE going to eat more calories, and food we’re not normally eating. We can’t avoid it. But also remember, that ONE day of overindulgence will NOT add three pounds! There are 3500 calories in one pound of fat, so you have to eat 3500 EXTRA calories to gain one pound. You may wake up three pounds heavier the day after Thanksgiving, but it’s more likely due to the water gain from all the SALT you ate watching football than it is fat! Understand that weight gain and loss comes from a week worth of excess/reduced calories… not a day.
Food planning is even MORE critical this time of year. Plan for your holiday calories, and then work them into your total WEEKLY calories. Eat a few fewer calories on Tuesday and Wednesday, knowing Thursday you will be eating more. Then plan out WHERE you’re going to indulge on turkey day or Christmas Day. Eat all the turkey you want. Load your plate with veggies and cranberry, but go light on the stuffing and potatoes. Plan for a sliver of pie, and don’t stress over it! One day’s excess does not turn into three pounds around your waist!
Second, train for it! I’m an advocate of eating because I trained, not exercising because I ate! Train your butt off in the gym for two days before the holiday, knowing you’ll need those calories, and that couch time to recover! Drink an extra cocktail to kill the soreness in your legs from Wednesday’s leg workout! Don’t “punish yourself” on the treadmill on Saturday because you ate too much Thursday and Friday.
Finally… The day AFTER any holiday is NOT a holiday. Whatever food is not normally in your house the rest of the year… THROW IT OUT or give it away. There is no reason to eat leftover apple pie for three days after the holiday! Just because children are starving in Africa, you don’t have to make up for it here! And remember this… if you add up every major holiday, birthday, anniversary, and special occasion on the calendar, it adds up to less than 35 days per year. The OTHER 90% of the year is NOT a holiday! Eat like it…
For personal guidance, full meal plans from a Licensed Dietician, and a great workout routine to get in the best shape of your life, come see us at Burn Fitness Training!
Holiday eating is always an issue with people who are watching the scale. Between parties, Thanksgiving, Christmas/Hanukah, football games, New Years, alcohol, cookies, pies… it’s a nightmare! So how do you make it through until January without adding to your waistline?
First, be realistic! Most of us ARE going to eat more calories, and food we’re not normally eating. We can’t avoid it. But also remember, that ONE day of overindulgence will NOT add three pounds! There are 3500 calories in one pound of fat, so you have to eat 3500 EXTRA calories to gain one pound. You may wake up three pounds heavier the day after Thanksgiving, but it’s more likely due to the water gain from all the SALT you ate watching football than it is fat! Understand that weight gain and loss comes from a week worth of excess/reduced calories… not a day.
Food planning is even MORE critical this time of year. Plan for your holiday calories, and then work them into your total WEEKLY calories. Eat a few fewer calories on Tuesday and Wednesday, knowing Thursday you will be eating more. Then plan out WHERE you’re going to indulge on turkey day or Christmas Day. Eat all the turkey you want. Load your plate with veggies and cranberry, but go light on the stuffing and potatoes. Plan for a sliver of pie, and don’t stress over it! One day’s excess does not turn into three pounds around your waist!
Second, train for it! I’m an advocate of eating because I trained, not exercising because I ate! Train your butt off in the gym for two days before the holiday, knowing you’ll need those calories, and that couch time to recover! Drink an extra cocktail to kill the soreness in your legs from Wednesday’s leg workout! Don’t “punish yourself” on the treadmill on Saturday because you ate too much Thursday and Friday.
Finally… The day AFTER any holiday is NOT a holiday. Whatever food is not normally in your house the rest of the year… THROW IT OUT or give it away. There is no reason to eat leftover apple pie for three days after the holiday! Just because children are starving in Africa, you don’t have to make up for it here! And remember this… if you add up every major holiday, birthday, anniversary, and special occasion on the calendar, it adds up to less than 35 days per year. The OTHER 90% of the year is NOT a holiday! Eat like it…
For personal guidance, full meal plans from a Licensed Dietician, and a great workout routine to get in the best shape of your life, come see us at Burn Fitness Training!