Maintaining Your Weight During the Holidays
The holidays really are a joyous time. There are holiday traditions to look forward to and plan out with your people. One of those traditions might come with backup in the form of weight gain. Portioning your food, getting plenty of exercise, and sleeping well are all things that could really help keep the holiday weight from sticking around.
Portioning Is Key
Portioning tends to be overlooked. There are a lot of foods during the holidays that can make portioning rather difficult. The best thing to do is eat what's best for you first, before you get too full.
Doctors and professionals recommend that your plate is half veggies and the other half is a mixture of protein, carbs, and healthy fats or sugars. Eating this way ensures that you get the nutrients you need to function at your best, which is important during the holiday season.
Getting Enough Exercise During the Holidays
Although the holidays are really busy it's important to still get enough exercise. Dieting is important and it has a lot of benefits, but exercise helps burn extra calories. People usually eat more calories during this season but feel too busy to get more exercise to combat the problem.
There are simple ways to incorporate more exercise into the day. When you go to the store you could park a little farther away. If you're shopping in a big mall, take the stairs. Little by little you'll be able to burn a few hundred more calories per day. All of those days build up, so when the eating starts, you're already prepared. Try to still use self-control when eating, however.
Adequate Sleep Helps
It's hard to get enough sleep on a normal basis for a lot of people. If sleep is hard to come by on a regular basis, the holidays could be even more difficult. This is where planning becomes vital. If you sit down one day a week and jot down all of the tasks you need to complete, you should keep overwhelming feelings at bay.
Along with planning well, you need to make sure that you're making sleep a priority. You can plan all day long, but if you don't follow through on your plans, it very well could be wasted time. Don't be afraid to disperse some tasks amongst your family if you simply don't have enough time.
The holidays are a great time of year. It's a time of giving, which is perfect. You need to make sure, however, that you're giving yourself what you need to. You can't pour from an empty cup. So take care of yourself and spread the joy.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Wake Forest, N.C.