Fit For Life: Don’t ‘Sabotage’ Your Holidays

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Matt Espeut, GoLocalProv Health + Lifestyle Contributor

It's that time of the year again. A time to get together with family and friends that you don't get to see on a regular basis, a time of being close with the ones we love and care about, a time to give thanks, a time of relaxing and getting that warm feeling that the holidays bring. But beware. The holidays don't always come with good intentions. As a matter of fact the holidays love to sabotage our health and waistline. Here are some ways to avoid this.

sab·o·tage, n.
1. Destruction of property or obstruction of normal operations, as by civilians or enemy agents in time of war; 2. Treacherous action to defeat or hinder a cause or an endeavor; deliberate subversion.

S - stick to your exercise routine. Eating well is difficult this time of year; so don't compound the damage by being lazy. Get to the gym and lift weights.

A - avoid eating the worst of the food on the table. Stay away from all bread based foods like stuffing, bread and rolls, crackers etc. - these items have the most empty calories of all.

B - be strong. Don't eat just because it is in front of you. When you feel full, stop eating.

O - offer to help clean off the table and get up and move around after dinner. It is not a lot of exercise, but still better than sitting at the table spooning more food into your mouth.

T - take responsibility for yourself. If you look for reasons to give in and fail, you will. Don't just throw your hands in the air and blame your host or the holidays for falling off your program. We all cheat; just get back on the wagon after it's over.

A - accept the fact that you will not be on your program, and you will have dessert. This is for the neurotic exercise people. Don't stress yourself out, it's ok, just try to minimize the damage. You work hard, you deserve a treat.

G - get back to the gym tomorrow. Most people get this day off, so get to the gym the next day. You could also workout outside, but you will have lots of stored glycogen from overeating, and a workout with weights will burn more calories, as well as give you a great pumped up feeling.

E - exercise discipline, and keep your motivation. When you fall off for a day get back on your horse. Try to avoid throwing in the towel for "the holiday season". There will be lots of temptation, but remember how hard you worked to get to where you are, and that the more you vary from your plan and system, the tougher it is to get back on track.

And – of course - Happy Thanksgiving to all

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Matt Espeut has worked as a personal trainer for almost 20 years with clients ranging in age from 14 to 86. His focus is on overall health, strength, and functional conditioning. Holistic health and nutrition is the cornerstone of all his programs. Matt works in private and small group training available at your home or office location or at gym facilities. Matt offers his services to everyone wanting to be more fit and healthy, overweight young people, youth/collegiate athletes, and seniors. Matt has worked and continues to train at several facilities in the Providence area including Gold's Gym and CORE Studio, and he believes continued education is a must in his field. Email Matt:[email protected], check out his website atwww.fitnessprofiles.net or on Facebook at Matt Espeut or on Twitter @MattEspeut.

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