I hope you had an awesome Christmas! It’s such a fun time of year. I love celebrating the birth of Jesus, experiencing the magic of Christmas with my kiddos and husband, spending time with family and friends and being in the physical shape to enjoy the goodies of the season guilt-free. A few favorites this year were Aunt Kathy’s ooey-gooey squares, homemade buckeyes from my neighbors and Mimi’s shoepeg corn dip.
While I enjoyed the extra treats (some a little more than I should have), I’m also feeling bloated, sluggish and ready to get back to it and drop the few quick pounds I picked up. Here are my three simple, no-fail tips to flush out the holiday junk and get back on track.
1. HYDRATE. Drink as much water as you can. For a few days, shoot for at least 25% more than usual. Water helps eliminate sodium, decrease bloating, improve metabolism, increase energy and improve workouts. Who doesn’t need all of that after the holidays!? Start chuggin’!
2. REDUCE CARBS & SUGAR. Decrease starchy carbs (bread, pasta, potatoes, etc.) and sugar for a few days, while increasing lean protein. For me that means getting back on my normal nutrition program. For the rest of this week I’ll even take it a step further, cutting my starchy carbs by 30-40% of normal and replacing those grams with protein. Protein helps reduce water, improve satiety (feeling full) and increase metabolism, all things I’m looking for after a week or two of extra treats. I also go easy on the salt shaker and load up on green veggies.
3. EXERCISE. Weight training and cardio get us sweating and keep our metabolism revved up. They also help burn fat, decrease bloating and eliminate toxins. Another benefit of weight training specifically is that it decreases insulin levels and fat producing stress hormones, which both rise when we eat more high carb, high sugar foods during the holidays. Get moving and sweat some of the holiday junk out.
Rachel Wade
Focused Fitness
rachel@yourfocusedfitness.com
