Whether you are partying in a club or staying at home; delicious food is going to be a staple for all. We bring you the top 9 fitness tips during the holidays to avoid going out of shape.

1. Eat before a party to avoid overeating

This one’s pretty standard. If you go to a party feeling hungry, it is more likely that you will eat oily and greasy food. While we understand that festivities/ holidays call for this, remember these fitness tips will give you right balance of enjoying this time without giving up on your hard-earned gains. Interestingly, this is also one of the rules to live by while grocery shopping because you’ll be buying more junk when you’re hungry.

2. Drink loads of water

Water is a calorie-free drink that not only does your body need, but also thrives with. It is needed to prevent dehydration and cushioning of joints in the body. Drinking a glass of water before, during, and after your meals not only lower your meal’s energy intake but also makes you feel fuller, and makes you eat less junk, and this can lead to significant fat loss over time. Undoubtedly, it is the best hydration drink. Holidays or not, staying hydrated is one of the most important fitness tips one needs to follow.

3. Follow a portion control diet

Relatives requesting that you consume their preferred dessert? Accept it, but don’t anticipate seeing your abs devour the entire cake! Studies have revealed that children who use larger plates consume 50% more calories than they require. Keep this in mind and limit your portion size if the restaurant offers food on a larger dish. Moreover keeping a small plate while going for a second serving is psychologically rewarding.

4. Avoid Alcohol as one of the Fitness tips

It is a no-brainer that alcoholic drinks such as beer, wine, spirits, and liquors are devoid of any nutrients and yet is full of calories. This means that when you are drinking, empty calories are going into your body and if you go above maintenance, you will become obese. Plus, after you take alcohol, it will affect your judgment skills and you might choose junk food. Binge drinking and good health do not go hand in hand.

5. Have an eating strategy as one of the Fitness tips

Honestly eating strategically doesn’t mean you have to eat light. Counting calories means you can now eat in a healthy yet flexible way. You can do this by using calorie counter apps.  Some tips to maintain your fitness during holidays are:

• Fill your plate with vegetables and meat – Vegetables are practically calorie-free and thus fill your stomach and meat in any party or function gives you enough protein

• Skip the sauce: This is just a way carbs and lots of processed sugar sliding into to your diet. When it comes to kebabs and tikkas, skip the sauce and you won’t notice much has changed post your celebration.

• Take some rest before the first and second servings of meals: This ensures that your body has enough time to tell if you are full

• Eat a small meal before the big party. This will keep your digestion rolling and you will not eat as much junk food as you would eat

• Try intermittent fasting – Intermittent fasting or I.F. as the gym rats call it, it’s when you fast for 16 hours (including sleep) and only eat for 8 hours. Intermittent fasting schedule will definitely help you in weight loss!

6. Use supplements along with a healthy diet

Along with other tips, supplements too can help you in maintaining fitness during the holidays. Fat burner supplements can help you burn more calories during workouts, especially during cardio, but BCAA supplements can also help you in maintaining muscle mass. Just remember that taking a fat burner doesn’t mean you can eat whatever you want. Do consume supplements but don’t try to replace it with your healthy diet. Whey protein powder, creatine, vitamin d3, BCAA, probiotics, fat burners are some of the most in demand supplements.

7. Try HIIT workout as one of the Fitness tips

I hate to say this as much as you do, but cardio is going to be your best friend during the holidays. Because this will not only keep your heart healthy but will also keep obesity away from all parties. H.I.I.T or High-Intensity Interval Training refers to a specific type of cardio that requires short maximum bursts of energy. So you’ll be doing full-speed sprinting for 30-40 seconds and pacing for 50-60 seconds. Do this for at least 15-20 minutes and see your fat melt off! A great alternative to sprinting would be jumping rope!

8. Get sufficient amount of relaxation

When I say relax, it means you need to get some sleep. An insufficient amount of sleep increases your insulin, which means you can kiss fat-burning goodbye. Meditation/ calming music can actually help your body to relax & sleep by physically syncing your heart rate to the music. You can also do some breathing exercises before going to bed. Holidays are the best time to relax and follow other fitness tips as well.

 You can take the help of Furthermore it lowers testosterone and increases amounts of stress. Since vacations involve so many things to do and space to move around, many people take unnecessary stress. Stress releases the hormone cortisol which is not productive to your gains as it hinders muscle building and fat loss.

9. Make time for training

Training is the stimulus we give to our body to grow and it is only by pushing ourselves to the limit that we can get unreal results. I know the holidays are a time to spend with family and friends, but that doesn’t mean you can’t spare an hour for your workout. Take control of your environment instead of being controlled by it. A quick tip for the holidays would be to work out before your grand party, because then all the nutrients, good or bad, go into replenishing your glycogen instead of going into your fat stores. Also, training is going to create a calorie deficit, meaning that even if you go up for a day, you can still use it to set a PR (Personal Record) at the gym. Use junk food to your advantage and celebrate the holidays!

No one wants to lose the progress they worked so hard to gain. These fitness tips will surely help you to enjoy your holidays without any regret! For more health related blogs stay tuned to our journal section at Body Fuel.