Tis the season to be jolly, drink, eat and be merry while we fall off track and lose self control in overindulgences.  Between Thanksgiving and New Year, we make plenty of excuses to justify the excess of food and alcohol intake along with a decrease in exercise.   This is also the time period when you can easily gain 5-10 pounds and fall out of shape.  Instead, you hold off for the new year's resolution which may or may not come to fruition.  Why even go there?  There is never enough time, a dozen holiday functions and parties to attend and you completely let go without thinking twice.  The key is planning ahead of time!  Holidays are a great time to get together with friends and family and enjoy yourselves without feeling so guilty.  This is all possible if you learn how to balance your priorities in life.

Instead of getting into worst shape for the holidays, challenge yourself to get into even better shape.  Below are a few tips you can follow to stay on track:

EARN YOUR MEAL

As my clients and students will hear from me all the time, if you haven't worked for it, you're not allowed to have it.  This doesn't mean you can overindulge either.  It takes 3500 calories to gain a pound.  You may have more than that at one sitting during holiday meals!  Eat properly and exercise consistently before rewarding yourself.

BALANCE YOUR MEALS

Don't sacrifice food for drinking or vice versa.  On the day of the holiday party or function, it is even more crucial for you to have your clean, solid, balanced meals throughout the day so you don't overindulge. If you intend to drink, you can drink a glass of water in between each alcoholic beverage to feel more full.  This will prevent you from getting less trashed and you can keep a handle on your alcohol.  Many people also make the mistake of starving themselves which decreases their metabolism.  Instead, they'll pig out later or drink excessively without realizing everything they consume will now be easily stored as FAT!

LIMIT ALL UNNECESSARY CALORIES

This means lowering your sugar, salt and fat intake.  Stick with whole grains, high fiber, unprocessed foods, (oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, sweet potato, beans), lean protein (low fat Greek or soy yogurt, tofu, veggie meat, lean chicken, meat, or fish) lower or no sodium items, good fats instead of highly saturated fats in moderation (peanut or almond butter, avocado, fish,) and tons of fruits and vegetables in its natural state.  Many things you consume have hidden calories such as the sugar and fat intake in the Starbucks eggnog or peppermint lattes, whip cream on pies, ice cream and hot chocolate, and rich alcoholic drinks.  Opt for skim milk, no whip cream, and stay away from all added sugars (in the form of juices and creamy substances) in drinks.  Choose club soda or a splash of juice.  Some places offer "skinny" margaritas and diet mojitos and they're actually quite good!  Be careful of all the added salt in soups as well.  Either make your own or go for lower sodium soups.  Also, choose bases which contain more vegetable or clear broths over creamy soups with butter, milk and loaded with fat!

EXERCISE CONSISTENTLY

So you may have slacked off on your capoeira training or cross training, but set a minimum goal for yourself.  Three times a week is sufficient and doable.  The times you cannot make it to class, you can easily go to a gym and train on your own.  You should be doing that regardless to enhance your training outside of class.  You may not have the 2 hours to train capoeira after work, but you can make the time before, during lunch or after work for a shorter amount of time.  You will feel worse if you do not work out and relieve all that holiday stress!  If you overdid it the night before, then it should be a requirement for you to attend class, hit the gym or go for a run the day after to burn off the damage.  No exceptions!

STAY HEALTHY

The cold winters are the perfect season for sickness, the flu, colds and an entire shutdown of your immune system.  Drinking too much and not eating enough only puts you at a higher risk of falling ill.  You may also be deprived of sleep from over partying.  Take your daily multivitamins, eat well balanced meals 5-6 times throughout the day and keep yourself hydrated (especially if you're drinking too much).  These are simple guidelines which so many people neglect and the reason why illness runs rampant around this time.  One of the best vitamins for your immune system is "Wellness Formula", an herbal defense complex which works wonders at the first sign of imbalance.   You can also take a lower dosage as a regular multivitamin.  This is one of my best friends for the wintertime.  Those who are vegan or vegetarian and especially women may need more calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin B-12 or D. Check with your doctor to evaluate.

It's not as hard as you think to stay in check during the holidays.  You can even use these tips throughout the year to work on your weaknesses.  The people who are most successful at staying on track are the ones who are consistent during the year.  We are human and life is not all grilled chicken or tofu with brown rice 365 days a year.  Nor is it training like a machine and not allowing yourself to have any breaks or rest to recuperate.  The holiday season is a perfect time to let loose, but not so much that you lose everything you've worked hard for.

There is nothing more that I look forward to than my indulgences and enjoying a nice bottle of wine.  Portion control is key.   I won't indulge every night but will work on keeping my nutrition clean during the week.  I try to make sure I put in my minimum time for training as exercise is important in improving your energy and level of fitness not to mention relieving stress especially during the holidays.  There have been days I can't make it to capoeira class or workout due to my hectic schedule.  Those are the days I am very strict with my diet.   Make a plan for yourself that works.  This is the same philosophy I preach to my clients and students.  Learn to prioritize and your expectations will become your reality.  This should not be categorized as a new year's resolution but as a lifestyle change.


Previously:
Issues Facing Active Females
The Importance of Stretching and Flexibility
Joint Pain & Common Capoeira Injuries (Part 2)
Sprains, Strains & Common Capoeira Injuries (Part 1)
Capoeira Nutrition (Part 2)
Capoeira Nutrition (Part 1)
Capoeira and the Importance of Cross Training


Cindy Lai is a NASM certified Personal Trainer and runs Cindy Lai Fitness Bootcamp, a bootcamp in Central park that incorporates all the above elements and a kettlebell bootcamp on the West Side Highway for non-traditional strength training. Check out her site for more details.

Photos by udn, VannaGocaraRupa and skippyjon via CC BY-SA 2.0