A Month of Holiday Parties: How to Stay on Track with your Fitness Goals

It's that time of year again. Holiday party, after party, after party. Your family get together. Your friend get togethers. Office potlucks with (hopefully) lots of home-cooked dishes that you simply cannot (and should not) pass up. Pancit? Buñuelos? Glogg...at work? Even better! So how do you navigate and participate in all the food and festivities while at the same time not feeling defeated and "starting over" in January? Here's our advice...

Just go with it. I repeat. Relax. The holidays are a time to be present and enjoy the company of friends and family, and, for many of us, that includes bonding over food and drink. When we are stressed about food decisions and harboring guilty feelings around what we ate, we often derail our fitness efforts and consume even more of those foods and drinks than we initially wanted, which puts us further away from our goals. We develop an all-or-nothing mentality around food. This does not serve anyone.

Remember that each party, dinner, lunch, brunch, or cocktail hour is just one meal. Enjoy it. Have some of everything you want. Notice we said have some of everything, not the traditional advice of "pick 1-2 of the best looking treats you want but be sure to fill up on vegetables".....that is absurd advice. Who wants to remember Christmas 2023 as the time they ate 5 pounds of broccoli?! Remember, this is not the last time you are "allowed" to have those foods, this will help so that you don't over indulge and feel bloated and tired the next day. But if you do, it's ok because this is the time of year when you are going to....

Put that extra fuel to good use by maintaining your workout routine. Use this time of year to really focus on your strength gains in the gym (or garage!) and getting in some movement every day. Walking. Jogging. Biking. Whatever that may be for you. Remember, we are exercising because muscle mass increases longevity (1), because we want an enhanced sense of wellbeing (2), we want to be strong and mobile, and we want to carry all our groceries in in one trip. Why not use this time to make daily physical activity a habit and something you just "do" regardless of what you have eaten that day. Ultimately, consistently being physically active will become part of you who are, and that mindset shift will help you achieve and maintain your fitness goals in the New Year.

Wishing you a VERY MERRY holiday season. Enjoy!

1.Srikanthan P, Karlamangla AS. Muscle mass index as a predictor of longevity in older adults. Am J Med. 2014 Jun;127(6):547-53. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2014.02.007. Epub 2014 Feb 18. PMID: 24561114; PMCID: PMC4035379.

2.Penedo FJ, Dahn JR. Exercise and well-being: a review of mental and physical health benefits associated with physical activity. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2005 Mar;18(2):189-93. doi: 10.1097/00001504-200503000-00013. PMID: 16639173.

Disclaimer

This newsletter is designed for general information and educational purposes only. It does not provide personalized medical advice. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The information contained in this newsletter should not be used to make decisions about your health or any medical condition. Always seek the advice of your physician or qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in our newsletter.

By using this newsletter and reading the contents, you agree not to hold responsible the authors, information providers, creators, writers, editors, publishers, and any entities involved in its publication, for any type of damages directly or indirectly resulting from the use of the information in this publication.

Remember: There is no substitute for the diagnosis, treatment, and advice of a qualified healthcare professional.