It's that time of year again when every health and fitness expert under the sun tells you how to live your holidays. You know - portion control, eat healthy foods, no desert, no alcohol... Sounds familiar right? Well, what if you're a normal person? We're guessing that not only does this "advice" seem unrealistic to you, but it might even piss you off a little bit. It does to us, and we're technically "health and fitness experts."
How about a discussion on where people tend to make those compromises that even they don't really want to make, but do so based on outside influence and the hectic events of holiday expectations. We all know we can do a little better, so let us identify some of those places where you can.
In the short-run portion control is not all that big of a deal. In the long-run though it can become a slippery slope for sliding right off that wagon.
Food quality becomes even more important when we know it will likely be consumed in grand quantities. No, we're not criticizing your wife or mother's cooking skills. Here we are referring to ingredients, toppings, deserts, etc.
Stepping too far outside of your routine and not understanding how to apply your life choices outside of the optimal circumstance. "Don't go to the gym today, we just spent all morning shopping." Anyone?
A miss-understanding of what the holidays are for.
As we asked above, do you really like the taste of Wild Turkey? Really? Some times we get caught up in holiday traditions that we thought were cool when we were drunk college students (I mean, not us...) that we could care less about today. Understand that you're out to have fun, see friends who live in other cities and catch up, probably not to get completely out of control and sleep through your alarm on Thanksgiving.
Also keep in mind that not all alcohols are created equal. If you are serious about the way you eat all year and try to limit your sugar intake, don't put down ten rum and cokes with vanilla schnapps. Too much sugar, man! You will wake up feeling horrible and probably consume way more starches and sugars the next day because of it.
Here's the thing about portion control, it's usually harped on by "dieters" and never explained. We are not advocating that you should eat these tiny little portions so you don't get fat. Let's be honest, this is some of the best food we will eat all year and we should enjoy it!
Rule #1 for eating holiday meals - SLOW DOWN! We're sure quite a few of us can attest to this - we attack our overstuffed holiday plates like a Metcon far too often. Your meal is not a WOD. We are willing to bet that if you slow down 20-40% you will find that you are full with 20-40% more food left on your plate than most years. If you haven't heard this before - "it takes approximately 20 minutes from the time you start eating for your brain to send out the signals of fullness" (http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/slow-down-you-eat-too-fast), try it and see what happens.
Rule #2, beware the "snack-meal." You know, after you wake up from your food coma and see the food sitting out. What can a man do but eat some more, right? You're probably the one going for the stuffing! STOP. Have a glass of water and see if you're still hungry. A lot of people anticipate this time of year and the meals so much that as soon as their stomachs feel the least bit digested they're back at it. We can be relentless eaters.
We tend to think in terms of the whole. Ingredients themselves can have a large impact on our health. One of the most important ingredients that come to mind is sugar. On average our bodies can only metabolize 4 grams of sugar every hour before the rest is stored as fat. Which means the more sugar we eat, the worse impact we are having. Let's face it - holidays and deserts go hand-in-hand and so does sugar. Try some of these suggestions for cutting back on the sugar consumption:
We all love the foods we grew up eating during the holidays. They have come to be just as much a part of our holiday tradition as giving thanks or gifts. But keep in mind that as our knowledge of nutrition is grown, so has our ability to cook delicious foods that are also very healthy alternatives to our childhood favorites.
Some times we find ourselves in a hazy cloud of thought that says anything deviating from the norm is bad. There are plenty of "new" ways to make our all-time favorites and do so with more healthy ingredients. Check out these two sites for some ideas.
Working out is not a chore, and does not need to become one during the holidays. Because of perception most people require a certain type of environment to feel like they can workout, but the problem is that optimal environment is not available all the time during the holidays.
Becoming comfortable with Home WODs is very important. Take a look at some of the minimal equipment samples we have post over the course of the year.
There are two things that everyone committed to their fitness should keep in mind during the times when life gets hectic...
"Why workout if I'm just going to eat a whole pie anyway" is not a good excuse for not working out. In fact, it seems like a damn good reason why you should be working out! We can all do push-ups, sit-ups and air squats on any floor. Including the one you're standing on right now.
Have a plan. Understand that these aren't Earth-shaking decisions that need to be made, but simple ones that can have a substantial effect. Enjoy your time with those around you and your favorite holiday traditions. But, do so with a respect for yourself and everything you've worked for these last 11 months of the year.
How about a discussion on where people tend to make those compromises that even they don't really want to make, but do so based on outside influence and the hectic events of holiday expectations. We all know we can do a little better, so let us identify some of those places where you can.
Downfalls
First, where everyone gets caught up - being honest with yourself about where it all begins. For Thanksgiving it tends to be the night before. How's the Wild Turkey taste, honestly?In the short-run portion control is not all that big of a deal. In the long-run though it can become a slippery slope for sliding right off that wagon.
Food quality becomes even more important when we know it will likely be consumed in grand quantities. No, we're not criticizing your wife or mother's cooking skills. Here we are referring to ingredients, toppings, deserts, etc.
Stepping too far outside of your routine and not understanding how to apply your life choices outside of the optimal circumstance. "Don't go to the gym today, we just spent all morning shopping." Anyone?
A miss-understanding of what the holidays are for.
Starting The Slide
Nothing kills the fitness train like getting wasted the night before a day full of gorging yourself. For Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year's this can be a similar circumstance.As we asked above, do you really like the taste of Wild Turkey? Really? Some times we get caught up in holiday traditions that we thought were cool when we were drunk college students (I mean, not us...) that we could care less about today. Understand that you're out to have fun, see friends who live in other cities and catch up, probably not to get completely out of control and sleep through your alarm on Thanksgiving.
Also keep in mind that not all alcohols are created equal. If you are serious about the way you eat all year and try to limit your sugar intake, don't put down ten rum and cokes with vanilla schnapps. Too much sugar, man! You will wake up feeling horrible and probably consume way more starches and sugars the next day because of it.
Portion Control
Ah hah! I bet you're saying "they made fun of it and now they're talking about it!"Here's the thing about portion control, it's usually harped on by "dieters" and never explained. We are not advocating that you should eat these tiny little portions so you don't get fat. Let's be honest, this is some of the best food we will eat all year and we should enjoy it!
Rule #1 for eating holiday meals - SLOW DOWN! We're sure quite a few of us can attest to this - we attack our overstuffed holiday plates like a Metcon far too often. Your meal is not a WOD. We are willing to bet that if you slow down 20-40% you will find that you are full with 20-40% more food left on your plate than most years. If you haven't heard this before - "it takes approximately 20 minutes from the time you start eating for your brain to send out the signals of fullness" (http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/slow-down-you-eat-too-fast), try it and see what happens.
Rule #2, beware the "snack-meal." You know, after you wake up from your food coma and see the food sitting out. What can a man do but eat some more, right? You're probably the one going for the stuffing! STOP. Have a glass of water and see if you're still hungry. A lot of people anticipate this time of year and the meals so much that as soon as their stomachs feel the least bit digested they're back at it. We can be relentless eaters.
Food Quality
What are you eating? How clean is it? How clean can it be? Or more accurately - how clean are you willing to let it be?We tend to think in terms of the whole. Ingredients themselves can have a large impact on our health. One of the most important ingredients that come to mind is sugar. On average our bodies can only metabolize 4 grams of sugar every hour before the rest is stored as fat. Which means the more sugar we eat, the worse impact we are having. Let's face it - holidays and deserts go hand-in-hand and so does sugar. Try some of these suggestions for cutting back on the sugar consumption:
- Eat roasted sweet potatoes, not candied yams
- Eat homemade cranberry relish, not store-bought cranberry sauce
- Make your own pie topping and skip the sugar
We all love the foods we grew up eating during the holidays. They have come to be just as much a part of our holiday tradition as giving thanks or gifts. But keep in mind that as our knowledge of nutrition is grown, so has our ability to cook delicious foods that are also very healthy alternatives to our childhood favorites.
Some times we find ourselves in a hazy cloud of thought that says anything deviating from the norm is bad. There are plenty of "new" ways to make our all-time favorites and do so with more healthy ingredients. Check out these two sites for some ideas.
- Nom Nom Paleo - lots of delicious paleo holiday recipes
- Hold The Pigskin - great recipes you would never even know are vegan
A Holiday From Fitness
For most people, staying in good shape or even just making it to the gym is work. In a lot of cases it is hard work. That's okay. Nothing worth having is easy. But far too often we hear of people giving up on working out during the holidays because it's "just too difficult to find time to WOD."Working out is not a chore, and does not need to become one during the holidays. Because of perception most people require a certain type of environment to feel like they can workout, but the problem is that optimal environment is not available all the time during the holidays.
Becoming comfortable with Home WODs is very important. Take a look at some of the minimal equipment samples we have post over the course of the year.
There are two things that everyone committed to their fitness should keep in mind during the times when life gets hectic...
- Not every workout is an optimal workout.
- Any workout is better than no workout.
"Why workout if I'm just going to eat a whole pie anyway" is not a good excuse for not working out. In fact, it seems like a damn good reason why you should be working out! We can all do push-ups, sit-ups and air squats on any floor. Including the one you're standing on right now.
Why The Holidays Are Holidays
Holidays are a time of celebration, giving thanks and being around those that we love. They are not a time of neglecting our own needs and all that we have worked hard for the other 11 months of the year. A lot of times as we grow it can be difficult to let go of childhood traditions and ideologies. Just because we did something when we were 10, doesn't mean we have to do it now. How many of you can eat an entire pie like you did a decade ago without ramifications?Have a plan. Understand that these aren't Earth-shaking decisions that need to be made, but simple ones that can have a substantial effect. Enjoy your time with those around you and your favorite holiday traditions. But, do so with a respect for yourself and everything you've worked for these last 11 months of the year.
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