Holiday Tips To Stay On Track

Ahhh, the Holidays.  You either love them or hate them. I don’t know about you but it’s absolutely my favorite time of year. Ask anyone, especially those who get a box of all my holiday cookies! That’s right, I cook and bake just like the rest of you, both light and decadent.  Just because I am a trainer and fitness expert, as well as model, doesn’t mean I don’t indulge–particularly during my favorite time of year. I know how hard it can be to stay on track but it is very possible to stay well-balanced and on top of things. I’ll tell you how and teach you some easy and smart tips for this holiday season. This time of year can be very stressful for some folks but learn my top tips and I promise you can still have a wonderful holiday season.

If there is ever a time to focus, the time is now. Pre-soiree, make a game plan. We can’t deny that you will be around incredible feasts, countless finger foods, irresistible cookies, usually with a drink in hand, and out late, but you can have a fun holiday season without feeling so overwhelmed. I will show you how to survive with my easy Food Tips, followed by some really easy ways to stay active with my top Fitness Tips.

FOOD TIPS:

The most important thing I can tell you is this:  Watch what food you bring in, encourage company to take leftovers and goodies with them, or give away what you can. Out of sight out of mind. The easiest place to control excess calories this holiday season is in your own home. If it is not in your eye sight, chances are you will not go put your shoes on, get in the car, and drive to get it. Am I right or am I right? If you use a food log or food app,  now would be the time to get very consistent and accurate with it again. It will stop you in your tracks immediately; you just have to put in the effort.

I might be the only fitness professional (who is also a healthy chef) on the planet who sends some of my clients home with my home goodies every once in awhile. Yes, it is true.  Mine are usually a modified treat with less sugar and fat but my point is that I do not teach or preach deprivation. So, a great idea is to make a recipe that is seriously delicious but made with smarter and healthier ingredients. Think about using recipes with healthier ingredients that still are delicious but are packed with good-for-you ingredients.  Take my No Bake Cashew Cookie Chews recipe. They are bite size, full of chocolate chips, I approve them on any diet, and people rave about them. They taste like raw cookie dough, are low sugar, so easy, and the main ingredient are cashews– so you are still giving your body a healthy fat. (Check them out below!).

Much of the time people do not even know the difference. Or,  if you say, “I know, can you believe it’s half the sugar, too” they are thrilled. Trust me. People are always trying to eat better. So you can always make a lighter treat.  If you are looking for “lighter” Holiday Treats <—- visit here.

Moni Holiday Treats!

If you are baking items to give as gifts to your loved ones, consider giving things that are “WHOLE.” Soufflé’s, breads, pies, and cakes are all great because there will be none for you to eat.  You have to give  ALL of it.  No one wants a cut out cake! Another great gift would be a fruit basket or a really nice selection of good quality nuts (low sodium and not candied, of course).

If you are like me and baking a plethora of delicious goodies, then try these tips. Eat a healthy meal with a protein before you start the bake off. Also, make sure you are well hydrated. This alone will help you with snacking. As you know (because you read my Tips on How to Drink More Water) that sometimes you eat just because you are dehydrated. If you are starving, you’ll eat the entire time you are baking. You can also try to chew gum, brush your teeth, and if it is an all day cooking event make sure you carve out time to eat that healthy meal. Putting out veggies and hummus will also be helpful so you don’t keep eating your cookies.  Even better is to put out a bowl of Clementines. Not only do they smell delicious (which also helps with stress) and are in season, but one is only around 35 calories with vitamin C and fiber.

When enjoying holiday cocktails, it’s simple. Have a plan and stick to it. Commit to capping yourself off after two to three cocktails. This will keep you from mindlessly accepting refills. Next, in between each drink, I want you to try your best to chug a glass of water. This will help you the next day too. Last, just keep it simple. There are so many fancy beverages around this time of year so maybe have one of your favorites and then switch it over to a wine, beer, or the bubbly (my favorite). Those are better choices because they have less calories and sugar.  An even better choice is choosing a low or no calorie mixer like a club soda with a twist of lime.

The most important thing you can do (that so many people still avoid on purpose) is to make sure that you eat before you head out to those big dinners, parties, or shopping at the mall. You never get ahead by not eating all day so you can blow all your calories later. This is such a bad idea every time, trust me. You will over eat, make poor food choices because you’ll be so hunger and your metabolism will slow down. In addition, this will make you feel sluggish and tired. Instead, always eat a healthy snack or meal before you head out. This will absolutely help you to not over eat. Eat a protein rich meal or a salad, or healthy snacks like fruit, smoothies, or yogurt with some nuts.

My only actual mandatory rule is to try your best to not be stressed when getting ready to cook and bake. It should be a fun time and should be relaxing! If you are stressed and try to tackle this, chances are you will eat your way through it. Try putting on some favorite music (holiday tunes for me), put out a tray of sliced fruit or veggies with hummus and pour yourself a tall glass of water. I’m not at all saying you can’t have some of the delicious treats you are making but it is all about finding the balance.  We all know what “stress eating” feels like so try to slow down in the kitchen and enjoy the festivities.

So remember those “B,L,T’s” ( bites, lick, tastes) all DO count and so do all the broken cookie pieces. Yes – they still have calories! Even I am guilty of eating those lil pieces every chance I get.

WAYS TO STAY ACTIVE:

The biggest challenge is really getting yourself out of your usual routine or your comfort zone, so to speak.  I look at this as a great way to switch up your routine which is actually extremely important after doing the same workout over and over again.  Let this be the time you finally try that new trendy class you have always wanted to take, or give yourself permission to take that very much needed yoga class. When traveling, a great idea is to look up a local gym nearby and find out what awesome classes they offer and sign up for one or two. When visiting home, call friends and family and see what they usually do for workouts and tell them you would like to stay active. Chances are they will want to come with you to burn off some cals or stress! If they don’t, they’ll certainly respect that you would like to carve out some “you time.”

Try to choose exercises that move your body quickly. Chances are you will be short on time so get your metabolism revved up and go with high-intensity. Doing a circuit of body weight movements such as; push-ups, planks, lunges, burpees (to really get the heart rate up!), jumping jacks– are all great.

No gym? No problem! Try the above movements and if you are really dedicated to staying active then you can pack either a jump rope (which burns the most calories per minute), bands, TRX or sliders. If you don’t have sliders, use towels on the hard wood floor and incorporate Mt.Climbers and planks. You can also use filled up water bottles for weights – you bet! See, no excuses.

Jump Rope torches the most calories per minute. Pack one!

Want to play outside? Great, me too, it’s my favorite thing to do when I visit home in Colorado. You will find me on the slopes! Grab the family and try ice skating, snow shoe shoeing, skiing or snowboarding. A long hike with the dog is another idea. Don’t forget to pack warm layers and a pair of nice wool socks to keep you warm and blister free.

Shopping and staying on your feet also keeps you active. Play with the kids and have contests like a push-up contest or, “Who can run the fastest from here to there?” How about a “plank off?” After all, it’s all about having fun! Nothing wrong with doing tricep dips at the park bench. I do it all the time.

Go for Plank OFFS!

Delayed flight? Store your luggage and explore the terminal. I happen to love “people watching” and this activity kills time much faster for me.  (Bonus Points:  pack some of your own snacks–it can be very tricky to eat healthy while traveling).

Most importantly, holidays come once a year and are very special. Enjoy them with your loved ones. This time is here and gone before we know, so let’s all make the most of it. You can certainly have a jolly good time without ruining all your efforts and hard work. Although it can be challenging to stick to your healthy lifestyle during the holiday season, there is no excuse to abandon all the progress you have made thus far. Indulge on the treats and meals that are absolutely your favorites and then move on from it. Schedule your workouts, plan many healthy meals and try to keep your healthy mind set and stress levels in check. So, yes, you can indulge.  Just watch for how you indulge and be honest with yourself.  It may be  harder to stay on track this magical time of year but it can be done!

Happiest Holidays!

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EAT WELL. STAY FIT. FEEL GREAT.

Moni xx