Get Fit: Holidays Are No Excuse

It was Thanksgiving morning, and my main question was, “Whose bright idea was this?”

I dragged myself out of bed and stumbled over to to do a 90-minute mix-and-match fitness class. My husband was going to be playing a flag-football game that morning, so I thought I might as well get out too. But when 8 a.m. rolled around, I knew it was only that $15 I’d already paid that was making me get out the door.

Thinking to commiserate a little, I expressed my sentiments to a fellow exerciser who was walking in with me. But instead of sympathy I got an enthusiastic, “Oh I did this last year and loved it. It’s so much fun.”

I did a double-take. My friend was not the body type I would have pegged as an exercise fanatic, but she certainly had the spirit. Once in, I was pleasantly surprised to find a gym packed with people already starting round one of the collage of Zumba, kick-hip-hop, kickboxing, strength training and Pilates that would fill our morning. And this was only the land group, there was a whole group of people off somewhere in the pool doing an aquatics class as well.  

To say this motley crew of enthusiastic early-birds inspired me is not giving nearly enough credit. Here were well over 50 people getting up early on a holiday morning to put their health and well-being first on the priority list. Rather than dreading holiday pounds or feeling guilty over mashed potatoes, they were actually doing something about it!

For so many people, the holidays bring with them gift-wrapped guilt and dread of all those inevitable extra pounds. At the same time, people buy into the whole, “Oh just enjoy yourself now and make another new-year resolution come January. There’s no way you can be self-disciplined when there’s so much food everywhere this month.” So eat now and come January you can feel guilty and buy a gym membership.

Well, a gym full of fanatics I and are here on Thanksgiving morning to say otherwise. You can start now and not let the holidays be an excuse to succumb to total lack of self-control.

Here are three things I’m planning on doing this holiday season to keep up a healthy lifestyle despite everything that tries to push out fitness this time of year:

First, exercise is non-negotiable. This is easier to keep up during the holidays if you already have a normal routine going in, but either way it is doable if you make up your mind and plan ahead. Most of this is a mind-game, how determined are you willing to be? Find an accountability partner and set a goal that will push you, but is also realistic: exercise 15 minutes a day, one hour out of the week, or half hour several times a week. It’s up to you, but don’t back down. Know yourself and maybe make some kind of incentive—like if you don’t fulfill your exercise goal, no sweets at the weekend Christmas party.

Maybe it’s just me, but I find that my body craves healthy food a lot more when I’m being physically active. Sweets just don’t cut it after a good workout. And if you know you are going to do a workout once you get home, you may be less inclined to eat those cookies that were brought to work.

Second, plan your cheat meals. It’s OK to be realistic and realize that there are going to be more unhealthy foods consumed this month. No one wants to be the boring person who brings carrot sticks to the Christmas party. So be realistic, but also be organized. Look at your schedule and plan when you are going to cheat and then don’t take that as an excuse to cheat all the time. Just because you had decadent food at a party doesn’t mean you need to have it in your fridge all month long.

Third, share the sweets. There’s a lot of giving of sweets this time of year: cookies, fudge, eggnog, candy—it all gets passed around. So keep it moving! Take a little so you don’t feel deprived, and then bring the extra to work to share with others (not your fault if they aren’t as disciplined as you), or your child’s school, or the volunteer fire department or even check with a local food pantry. You don’t have to eat everything you are given.

These three simple things can make a big difference over the course of a month toward staying in control of the food, rather than vice versa. And get people around you who will encourage you. They are out there—there was a gym full of them Thanksgiving morning!