Hey #fitfam! I hope that you all had an amazing Thanksgiving holiday and that you experienced happiness and togetherness with the most special people in your life. I had a great day of Turkey, seafood dressing, and football. I was able to avoid overeating but my workout time was a tad short of my goal. Nonetheless, I was active and I feel good about how my week went.
How did it go for you all? Drop your holiday experiences in the comments!
Sooooo…all of the turkey and stuffing is gone and that last slice of pecan pie is on borrowed time, lol. But you made it through. You managed your intake, you remained active, and you feel amazing that you earned your first victory in the holiday battle of the bulge!
With this first milestone behind us, we shift focus to the treacherous stretch of days from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day which is filled with holiday parties at every turn. To offset the temptations that lie ahead, a good idea is to challenge yourself to maintain a high level of discipline throughout the season. In addition, its a great time to try different dishes that are light and easy to make, meal prepping is a good idea here. As I consistently share with you all, having a plan is the first victory on this fitness mission.
The first plan of attack is activity, I’d recommend adding a challenge to your regularly scheduled regimen to give yourself a lil’ extra push against the bulge. Create a reasonable challenge that will carry you through the month of December such as 100 sit-ups per day, or 100 flutter kicks, or squats, or 50 pushups. Just remember, set something realistic for you and stick with it. Also pick a reward for different levels of achievement: reward streaks (consecutive days in a row, 5, 10, 20, etc), reward rep totals (1k, 2k, 3k), and reward overall participation (don’t go crazy with this one, we want to excel at this and not just mail it in to check off a box).
The second element of our plan is the nutrition. We’ve got to feed those muscles and focus on good gut health aka digestion and absorption. Here’s a few meal suggestions that will give you a break from the heavy holiday staples you’re accustomed to:
-Vegetarian “Southern-Style” Collard Greens
-Baked Salmon with Honey Mustard and Pecan-Panko Crust
-Mushroom-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
-Char Siu Chicken
–Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and Pecorino Cheese
–Winter Fruit Salad
Lastly, I have training programs as low as $75/month that will supplement and guide you to your goals.
If you are interested in following along with my journey or contacting my company, I can be found on social media platforms:
Website – Total Camo Fitness
Always the best advice on this site and this article is no exception. I tend to jump into everything head first – will take your advice to set goals and avoid set-backs!
Hi Stephanie, thank you for the kind words. Goal setting is such an important foundational piece of success!
Thanks for the recipe suggestions, I definitely want to try the salmon, it is so hard to stay on track during the holidays.
I really love salmon! Fish combined with leafy greens can be such a light and fulfilling meal.
A winter fruit salad sounds amazing! Fruit is my go-to when I’m needing to eat but eaten too much over any holiday!
Katherine, I struggle with remaining consistent with my fruit intake at times because I only really like certain fruit that are also portable and hold up in freshness. Due to the benefits though, I try to stay the course.
in Canada our thanksgiving was in October, but I can definitely tell you I ate way too much turkey than necessary!
Hello Arnie! Thank you for reading. Thanksgiving in October sounds like fun. Check out my holiday tips to battle to bulge now that the turkey is gone, lol!
Another great blog post! You give some great tips and your tone in your posts is always so encouraging. 💕
Thank you Noelle! I try to encourage and motivate others whenever possible and spread love and light! I appreciate your comments and feedback every time.
The holidays are when I tend to pack on the extra pounds. Fighting those temptations are hard! I appreciate the healthy lighter recipe suggestions. Saving these!
Thank you for reading Brooke!
I always find I don’t stay in track on holidays but get back into healthier eating working out the next day I find restricting My holiday eating just doesn’t work for me but if i get right back onto My workout program that makes me happy
These holidays are so tough! But as long as you work back to a solid diet and exercise routine, you’ll be okay. It’s about progress, not perfection!
Great article. It’s so hard to eat healthy during the holidays!
Hi Tina, it definitely is!
Great tips and very helpful for holiday meals! thank you for sharing xx
Thanks for reading and happy holidays!