13 Dec Tips to avoid holiday weight gain

Most people gain an average of 5-7 pounds during the holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day.
That’s one club you probably don’t want to join – and with a little planning can have fun and still avoid joining.
You can have a great time and sample some of the fine food and drink, while still staying in shape.
Here are six tips to avoid holiday weight gain:
1. Plan for good health – Make time to shop for healthy food and set aside time to exercise.
2. Some exercise is better than none – You’re likely to get busier, but don’t put off exercising altogether. If you can only work out for 20 minutes instead of 40, or only get to the gym twice a week instead of four or five times, then settle for the minimums. It will help avoid some of the holiday weight gain and start stronger in January when you go back to exercising full time.
3. Eat healthy before parties – If you’re going to a holiday party, it’s very important to eat a good breakfast and/or lunch. Maybe even work in a healthy snack.
At the party go ahead and sample the rich in calories really good stuff, but if you’ve eaten good ahead of time you won’t gorge on high-calorie food.
4. Eat some healthy stuff at parties – Mix in some vegetable and fruits on your party plate to fill up on some healthy food.
5. Work out at home – If you normally work out at a fitness club, save some time by exercising at home.
Consider buying a treadmill, elliptical machine or other piece of equipment to work out at home. You can exercise whenever and however you want and will save time of commuting to the club and waiting in lines.
6. Limit alcohol intake – Mix in a glass of water between alcoholic beverages to cut calories. Drinking alcohol can also compromise smart food choices – and of course other judgment.
Happy Holidays to all!

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com