How to Get Through the Holidays With No Regrets
Let’s face it: it is hard to stick to a healthy eating and exercise plan during the holidays. Everywhere we turn there are tempting foods and drinks—from treats at office parties to our own traditional family favorites. When you add in a busy schedule filled with shopping and gettogethers that make it tough to squeeze in exercise, you have a recipe for disaster as far as our scales are concerned. The good news is that you really can get through the holidays without gaining weight. It will take some effort, but you will thank yourself a thousand times when January 1st rolls around and you have no regrets! Your Goal: Maintenance In order to greet the New Year without tipping the scale, it is wise to try to maintain your weight during the next few weeks instead of trying to lose. Remember: you want to enjoy the holidays, not be miserable from deprivation. This means that you will allow yourself occasional treats and splurges and keep the scale where it is rather than trying to actually decrease your weight. There are several ways to accomplish this: •Don’t skip your workouts. Even moderate intensity workouts can burn 300-400 calories per hour. You need this calorie-burn to keep up with the richer food that you will be eating. You will also be less likely to overeat if you have just sweated through a hard workout! •Eat breakfast. People who eat breakfast consume fewer calories throughout the day than those who skip this important meal. •Keep a food diary. Write down every single thing you eat—even if it is only one bite of shrimp cocktail. It is a proven fact that keeping a food journal results in better weight control than not keeping one. •Monitor your hunger. Never show up at a party or buffet ravenous—you will most certainly overeat. Drink water and have a protein-filled snack (such as nuts or cheese) before arriving. This will help you to have more self-control around the temptations. •Weigh yourself twice each week. Normally it is not a good idea to step on the scale too often, but during the holidays it’s a great way to stay on track with your goals. If you see the scale start to creep, you can immediately take steps to correct it, such as backing off your calories for a day or two, drinking more water and adding in a little more exercise. •Watch your portion size. If you have an idea of how much food you are putting on your plate, you will be less likely to overdo it. Take a look at the chart to familiarize yourself with portion sizes as they compare to your hand. •Deal quickly with leftovers. If you have unhealthy leftovers in your home, you are likely to indulge. Don’t leave them sitting around. Freeze them, give them away or toss them. It’s not worth the temptation! •Check in with your future self. Every day, speak to yourself from the future—say, from January 1. Thank yourself for doing the tough work of self-discipline during these holiday weeks. You might say something like this: “Thank you! I feel great! I’m no heavier than I was in December, I’ve stayed on track with my exercise, my energy is incredible and I’ve got the momentum to spend the rest of the winter getting in even better shape before spring gets here!” •Go public. Sound scary? It’s supposed to! Let others know what your current weight is and check in with them each time you weigh yourself. That kind of intense accountability will give you will power when the cheesecake and fudge starts showing up at the office! You can survive the holidays with no added weight gain. Remember these tips and keep a vision of what you want to feel like on January 1 in mind. It’s going to be a great holiday season!
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So far this summer we have been loving our group runs. We have had so many great runs and are planning more. Everyone of any skill or fitness level is welcome to join this fun friendly group of run lovers! Contact us now to join in the fun and come for a run!
Coming up next for Freestyle Fitness is our Second Epic Adventure! Our next challenge will be running the West Coast Trail in one day! This scenic trail is the perfect location to get outdoors and get fit this summer. Anyone who wants to join is welcome. Feel free to contact us to be a part of this one-day WCT run and participate in this Epic Adventure with us!
It was a successful Summer Fit Camp that saw the Freestyle Fitness Team smash their 5000 calorie goal for the July 1st long weekend!
Day 1: We started with a scenic 3 hour Kettle Valley Railroad bike ride that left from Summerland, then a walk down Tuc-el-nuit Lake after a fabulous meal of spelt pasta and homemade meat sauce courtesy of Brenda. Day 2: The day started with steel oats with fresh fruit and smoothies, before hiking McIntyre Bluff that overlooked Gallagher Lake in the morning. Next, Freestyle athletes switched their runners for their golf clubs and played a shotgun start 9 holes at the beautiful St. Andrews by the Lake course, located just outside of Okanagan Falls. The evening was capped with baked portabella stuffed mushrooms and tossed salad. Day 3: Next morning started with another healthy muffin and smoothie, then a run and weight session at the Oliver gym. We came back to bagel and eggs with veggies for a late morning breakfast. On mountain bikes the Summer Fit team got challenged by the steep 2 km Hester Creek Winery hill, then circled the outskirts of Oliver and toured the Desert Hills and Silver Sage wineries. BBQ chicken and grilled asparagus and zucchinis capped another healthy meal for the day. The final day saw the Freestyle Fitness members run a hard 5 km time trial, followed by a refreshing stand up paddle board off of Skaha Lake. Next up for Freestyle Fitness - Come join the Freestyle athletes as we kick off the Summer Fit training runs starting this Sunday at Mundy Park. These runs will vary each weekend and will finish with a challenging hike to the top of the Squamish Gondola. Stay tuned for the Summer Run Schedule. Our athlete of the month for June is David! He began training with us in 2013. During his training David learned how to use his gym equipment, and continues to use what he has learned at the gym. Because of his busy schedule, we provided David with programs to follow at his gym at work, home and for when he vacations. The main focus of Davids training has been guiding him through cardio programs to lose weight as well as core and back stabilizing exercises. The biggest struggle for David during training was his propensity to get injured, but through exercises and training routines tailored to his specific needs and abilities, David has lowered his weight, body fat, and resting heart rate while increasing both his strength and muscle mass. We continue to train David remotely, and see ongoing improvements in his health and fitness. Congratulations to David, who will receive a gift as athlete of the month, we continue to see amazing progress and dedication in his fitness journey. Check out his incredible before and after photos!
During our training camp in Oliver, we will be hand-preparing healthy and nutritious meals to keep everyone going and energized to reach our Summer Fit 5000 goal! Some of our meals will include:
For our upcoming Summer Fit 5000 training camp in Oliver, our group will be participating in a variety of activities and workouts all over Oliver and eating some delicious healthy food prepared fresh by us! Check out some photos of meal ideas and some more spots where we will be training!
Next coming up for Freestyle Fitness is our Summer Fit 5000 in Oliver. Our goal will be to burn 5000 calories in only 4 days!!! Check out a few photos of the beautiful spots where we will be training!
The first annual freestyle fitness epic event adventure proved to be an awesome experience! With breathtaking views at every corner the 6 freestyle fitness members all successfully completed the challenging Grand Canyon north rim to south rim run/hike. Paul and Jim set the pace while Janice and Lorelei added on some miles to view the scenic prospect point lookout. Coreen and Chris were soon enjoying a well deserved cold drink at the top. Looking down at one of the most scenic places on earth. Stay tuned for what is in store for the next epic event adventure! A special thanks to Jon and Pascha for providing the transportation support. Next up in June is our Oliver summer fit training camp. Check out tons of photos and videos from our trip!
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AuthorChris Hughes, Certified Trainer and Jim Winter, Events Coach Archives
July 2019
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