11 Tips to Stay Fit During the Holiday Season...

1.  Eat Breakfast -- It boosts your metabolism first thing in the morning and prevents your body from going in to starvation mode and storing fat.  Eat first thing, you won't feel like you're starving by lunch and overeating.

2.  Drink Plenty of H2O -- Staying hydrated is important for many reasons, but sometimes we mistake thirst for hunger.  Drink a glass of water before reaching for an unscheduled snack.

3.  Walk, Walk, and Walk Some More! -- Park farther away from the mall, or grocery store than you normally would and take advantage of the opportunity to burn a few extra calories.

4.  Plan Ahead -- Use this idea with both food and exercise.  Make sure you have healthy snacks on hand, schedule your meals and snacks no more than 2 1/2-3 hrs apart, and pack a cooler to get you through your day if you will be away from home longer than 3 hours.  As for exercise, put it on the calendar or schedule workout "dates" with your friends and family.  Not only will you be motivated by the company, but you will do the same for your loved ones!

5.  Spring Workouts -- Shorten your workout sessions, but increase the intensity.  TurboFire is a GREAT program to help you do just that.  In as little as 15 minutes you can increase your calorie burn to 9x the amount of a regular cardio workout and it will stay with you ALL day... Oh yea... and the music is KILLER!

6.  Play In the Snow -- Go skating, skiing, or sledding (my personal favorite).  All of these activities will be additional calorie burners.  Don't live in an area with a cold climate and snow... run on the beach, go in-line skating, or biking.  They are all fun activities that can get you out of your workout rut.

7.  See the Lights -- Plan a family walk around the neighborhood and check out all the holiday decorations.

8.  Eat Smaller Portions -- At holiday time the cookies, appetizers and holiday candies are plenty.  If you want to partake, do so, but limit yourself to only your favorites that you won't get at any other time of year and allow yourself just one helping.  Fill yourself up on the healthy foods so you only have a little room for the treats and savor them, slowly.

9.  Double Up on Workouts When You Can -- If you have the extra time, get in another 30 minute session or do a HIIT workout, even 20 minutes of heart pumping exercise is going to benefit you and burn calories.

10.  Calories Count -- Write everything you eat down and count those calories!  Try this journal it is easy to use and also gives you a place to keep track of your water intake, and daily exercise.

11.  Cheers!! -- Alcohol is HIGH in empty calories, and it decreases your metabolism so you burn calories at a slower rate.  Look for low calorie alternatives or, if you want an alcoholic beverage try one of these 5 Best Low Calorie Cocktails in moderation.


These tips were inspired by and modified from Powder Blue's Newsletter.  If you would like to subscribe to their Newsletter, go to TurboKick.com