How Not to Put on Weight over the Holidays

Holidays. A word that should bring excitement… not anxiety. Sometimes holidays are scary because it means saying bye to your routine. Today we share our tips on how not to put on weight over the holidays (we’ve been there, done that… not doing it again).

DON’T USE THE HOLIDAYS AS AN EXCUSE TO EAT LOTS + LOTS + LOTS OF YUMMY FOOD + UN-DO ALL OF THE HARD WORK YOU DID TO LOOK YOUR BEST FOR SUMMER!

Seems pretty simple, right? When we turned our calendars to December this year, we had a post-it reminding ourselves just this. Last year, we went a little crazy with the excuse “but it’s the holidays!” We got completely off track, put on weight + lost our fitness. Which is weird because we were looking our best + summer means bikinis, so you would think this would be a time to maintain our health (seriously, who knows what goes on in our heads sometimes!?).

Let’s face it. This happens. We can fall off the health-wagon (sometimes a little harder than others) + it’s difficult to get back on it. This year is going to be different though. We’ve come up with some easy ways to make the healthiest choices over summer.

Here’s our merrymaker tips on how not to put on weight over the holidays:

one: the holiday season means catching up with friends + family. Instead of making every catch up over drinks or food, make your social outings active! Think long walks, bike rides, hikes + the beach!

two: have lots of bbqs, forget the bread + fill up on delish meats, salads + vegetables.

three: we all like to let our hair down (+ have a few cheeky drinks) but let’s be sensible + choose the healthiest option. Tequila or vodka with fresh lime + soda is a great choice! Just remember to count your drinks because a whole bottle is NOT a healthy choice!

four: Christmas more often than not means buffet galore! Fill your plate ONCE + don’t go back for seconds until you’ve had a rest. ONLY go back if you’re genuinely still hungry (this tip is directed to the merrymaker sisters… seconds, thirds, fourths will be our down fall).

five: time off work means you have more time for the things you don’t have time for… like that extra workout you always want to fit in! After all, no one has ever said “I really regret that workout just now.”

six: did someone say “sweet treats”? Uhh, we did… sorry for the inundation of Christmas sweet treat recipes (but they’re just too yum!). When we make our sweet treats we always ensure there’s a crowd to enjoy them… this stops us from eating the whole entire batch!

seven: food gifts… why does it seem that you always end up receiving a whole shop of chocolates + biscuits?! Let your friends + family know that you would prefer something else (if that’s not too awkward) or be sure to share your food gifts with others.

eight: salads are our new favourite thing to experiment with. They don’t have to be boring at all! Like our new paleo summer macadamia salad

This is how we plan on getting through the holidays without putting on the extra kilos. We’d love to hear your tips on how not to put on weight over the holidays. Comment below!

Always merrymaking,

Emma + Carla

photo credit: kevin dooley via photopin cc

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