I literally ran into the mall the other day to grab some new PJ’s for Jake, my 17-month-old. As soon as I walked in the door I was blasted my holiday tunes, a larger than life Christmas tree, kids in line to see Santa, and sale signs everywhere. It hit me like a ton of bricks, the holidays are here. I don’t even have my turkey yet, where did the time go?
Although my son is already almost a year and a half, I feel really new at the mom gig and I’m still learning to shuffle all the daily duties of being a wife, mom, business owner, and a fitness trainer and nutrition coach. I love the holidays, but I’m not afraid to admit the thought of it all is exhausting and overwhelming. My days of going to the gym and cooking time-consuming recipes are gone.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. I love every minute of my crazy life and I embrace the nuttiness with open arms. But with that said, not a day goes by that I don’t thank my lucky stars for the knowledge I’ve gathered from my 15 years experience with fitness and nutrition. So today I’m sharing some of my holiday survival tips to keep your Super-Mom Capes flying over the holidays!
1. Spoil yourself with pre-cut veggies, fruit, and meat platters. We often think of these platters for parties, but they are perfect for grab and go snacks during the busy holiday season. Fill up a baggie of veggies on the way to the mall, toss some fruit in the blender with non-fat Greek yogurt for a healthy smoothie, or roll up some low fat turkey slices on a few whole grain crackers for a quick snack. All of these make perfect snacks for you and your little ones when you are on the go or at home.
2. Plan fun activities with friends and family. Enjoying winter activities is a great way to burn a ton of calories and get into the holiday spirit. A few suggestions are sledding, ice-skating, cross-country skiing, or snowshoeing.
3. Don’t skip your workouts when you are traveling. Look for fun ways to take your workout on the road. My favorite is the Journey Gym. It’s an amazingly portable James Bond like portable gym that allows you to get a full body workout anywhere in 20 mins. It also makes a really fun and unique gift.
4. Don’t drink your calories. Holiday drinks are full of sugar and can pack the pounds on. At Starbucks, the Eggnog Latte has over 600 calories; a better option is the Skinny Peppermint Mocha with only 100 calories. Always stick to skinny or light versions of your coffee drinks and skip the whip cream! Be careful with the sugary kid drinks as well. Dilute your kiddo’s 100% juice drinks with water or give them flavored coconut water instead. And when it comes to planning your holiday parties, look for low calorie cocktails. My favorite is Voli Light Vodka. It has 25 to 40% less calories and comes in great flavors that are wonderful with just a splash of soda water.
5. Set up a kid-share shopping holiday shopping swap. Find another mommy that will take the kids while you spend a day holiday shopping and then return the favor. Shopping without the little ones will make you much more time efficient and allow you to sneak in a workout with the time you save.
