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Top 10 Ways to Stay Fit Over the Holidays

3 December, 2014 By Gabriela Cordero

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Everyone knows the holiday season means friends and family, but more importantly, it means sinful foods that you only get once per year! Delicious hot chocolate with mountains of marshmallows, pie, brownies, freshly baked bread, cheesy sides and a variety of other dishes will likely cross your plate, and that can mean a lot of weight gain.

And while you could certainly start the new year working out more often to drop that extra weight, what if you could simply avoid gaining it in the first place?

There are a lot of things you can do to stay fit during the holidays, and that can mean being able to enjoy yourself without the guilt! If you want to keep your jeans on and avoid those sweat pants, then take a look at the useful information below.

1. Choose Your Drinks Wisely

Sure eggnog and brandy tastes great, but did you know that is going to cost you over 200 calories PER GLASS!? Instead of drinking the night away with this as your “holiday drink”, try opting for other drinks throughout the night. Of course you can still have that one brandy and eggnog, but switch to vodka and diet soda or a wine spritzer for the rest of the night. Drink water in between each drink to stay hydrated, and you’ll cut down on a lot of calories.

2. Bring a Healthy Snack to Parties

You’ll likely be going to a lot of holiday parties over the course of the next couple of months, and if you don’t have a healthy dish to snack on, you’re going to snack on anything that’s in front of you. Whenever you go to a party, bring with you a veggie tray with low fat dips, or something that’s low in calories and high in fiber. You’ll fill up faster with this type of snack, and you won’t eat as much of the unhealthy dishes.

3. Exercise in the Morning

Let’s face it; after you’ve had a few cookies and a nice big meal, the last thing you’ll want to do is go to the gym. So, avoid this inner-battle with yourself and just workout in the morning! You don’t have to do anything extreme, as going for a walk or going to your local swim center can help you burn the calories quite easily. You’ll be ahead of the game if you take the time to do this in the morning, and you’ll ramp up your metabolism as well.

4. Prepare Your Partner

If you have a close family member or spouse that you spend a lot of time with during the holidays, then enlist them in the weight gain battle. Make sure they keep you accountable for what you’re eating, and keep them accountable as well. It can help a lot just to have someone on your side, especially when that second helping of cheesy potato gratin is calling your name.

5. Drink More Water

raspberry tart high caloric dessert

By drinking a glass of water before every meal and throughout the day, you’ll be filling your stomach with 0 calories! This will help you eat less because you’ll feel full a lot sooner than you would otherwise. If you’re not a fan of water, then try adding some lemon or other fruit infusions to it. Try to avoid the soda because that will actually help your stomach expand, which means being able to eat even more than you would otherwise!

6. Learn to Fill Your Plate the Right Way

When you go to fill your plate at your holiday dinners, go for the vegetables first. Fill the majority of your plate with those, and then head over to the meats. After that you’ll just have a little bit of room left for the carbohydrates, so you’ll naturally eat fewer of them. You can go back for seconds if you really need to, but chances are you’ll eat less because you’ll be full from the fiber that’s naturally found in vegetables.

7. Balance Your Days

You’re not going to eat a holiday meal or go to a holiday party every day of the week, so you have to stay balanced when you’re not doing those things. Count your calories during the week, work out and try to cut down on the carbohydrates. You might be surprised at how well this works, even if you do have days where you go to a party and eat a lot of desserts or other dishes. By balancing out your week you’ll be able to afford those high-calorie days because you had several that were low in calories.

8. Choose Clothing that Isn’t Stretchy

Those yoga pants or other stretchy pants you have can be mighty forgiving, and might just make you forget that you’ve been eating more than normal. Try and wear jeans as often as you can, and not jeans that have a lot of stretch to them. Once they start getting tight you’ll realize you need to cut down, and this can help keep your weight in check. Yes there are days (like Thanksgiving) where you might NEED to wear those yoga pants, but otherwise it’s best to stay in clothes that don’t let you gain weight without noticing.

9. Count Calories

If you have trouble staying accountable, then count your calories! You can do this the old fashioned way by writing down what you eat, or you could download an app like MyFitnessPal. This will show you exactly the amount of calories that you eat, but will also display fat, sugar, carbohydrates and other nutrition information that you need to know.

10. Try New Recipes

Just because your family’s tradition of mashed potatoes made with 3 sticks of butter and a quart of cream is delicious doesn’t mean there aren’t other recipes that can be just as good! There are hundreds of recipes out there to choose from, and they are easier than ever to find if you just look online. Try the lower calorie options and you might find one that you like even better than the traditional recipe that you’re used to!

While the holiday “weight creep” might have been something you battled last year, it doesn’t have to be that way any longer! Use these tips and you may be able to stay in shape without going up a dress size. It won’t be easy, but once you commit yourself you’ll find that it’s worth it to balance your diet and achieve your goals.

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Filed Under: Blog, Exercises, Healthy Eating, Weight Loss

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Is Hiring a Personal Trainer Right for You?

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A personal trainer showing proper form – Toronto.

For those who are trying to lose weight, tone your body, or have any other fitness goals, one question that you may have is: should you hire a personal trainer? Or will personal training work for you? And, for each person, the answer is going to vary. For starters, you have to know what to look for in a trainer, and what they can help you with, so that you select the right person to work with.

 

There are several factors to consider when you are deciding whether or not to hire a trainer; and, if so, who to work out with for optimal results.

 

Client is accountable to a personal trainerWhat are your trainer’s responsibilities?

If you are considering hiring a personal fitness trainer, you have to understand their responsibilities to you. There are a few things a trainer should do once you hire them; these include:

  1. Assessing your fitness level and capabilities – a good trainer should provide a fitness assessment at the start. Doing this allows the fitness trainer to set a base level for you, to determine your strengths and weaknesses, and to understand what type of training is appropriate for you.
  2. Advising you of the correct method. This can range from how to use equipment, to how to properly do a push up or crunches. Doing this helps develop proper form, but even more important, it limits the potential for injury.
  3. Develop a personalized plan for you based on initial discussions and assessment. As well, the trainer can create a workout plan that you can do on your own, in between sessions.
  4. Motivate, encourage and guide you through your journey.
  5. Help you set realistic and attainable goals so that you don’t get demotivated and give up.

 

A personal trainer can help a client work out properlyWhat are advantages of working with a trainer?

For those who have a set goal in mind, there are a number of benefits to hiring a personal trainer; some of these include:

  • Motivation and constantly being pushed to the hardest levels.
  • They can develop challenging workout routines you could never do on your own.
  • Some will help you with a nutrition plan, and help you make better meal choices to attain your goals.
  • Trainers know how the body works; this means they can push your muscles in a way which will show growth and strength building, in far less time than you could do on your own.

 

The motivation and constant backing alone, are key reasons why clients have hired me.

You not only stay motivated, but when someone is holding you accountable, you are inspired to work harder, and wouldn’t want to disappoint. It’s so much easier to forego exercising when no one is holding you accountable.

 

What are the rates for a personal trainer?What are the rates?

Personal trainer rates vary based on their degree, credentials, how long they have been training, reputation, and even location. Bigger cities tend to cost a higher rate for good trainers, and personal trainers in a high end gym will likely charge more due to the fact that they have more overhead costs.

 

The cost of one-on-one training can range anywhere from $50 to well over $100 an hour. This is what you should expect in a city like Toronto. Anything lower than $50 an hour, you should stay well away from, or question it (perhaps there are hidden costs that you aren’t aware of). Or the trainer is not experienced or have the proper credentials, such as a trainer certification from a recognized organization.

 

However, many trainers will offer some kind of discount if you sign up for multiple sessions. Typically most clients will take advantage of this. Signing up for multiple sessions helps clients commit to a program they’ve already paid for, plus the added benefit of cost savings.

 

Is it worth it to get personal training?Is it worth hiring a personal trainer?

This varies by person. If you are the type of person that needs motivation and is new to working out, a trainer may be a good route; if you like to workout on your own, and are a fitness buff, a trainer isn’t the right choice for you, unless you want to take your fitness to another level. This is when you should look for a specialized trainer focused in a certain discipline. For example, as a personal trainer, it is incumbent on me to keep enhancing my education and experience such as nutritional courses or a specialized field like cross-fit.

 

If you have tried the gym or working out for months on your own, and see no results, a trainer might be what it takes to push you to your desired fitness levels, and help you attain the goals you have set out for yourself. A lot of my clients have the following in common:

 

    • they need to change their lifestyle, yet they have no idea how to start
    • they often don’t have the motivation and they need someone to encourage them
    • they need accountability, and often friends or workout apps or fitness dvd’s can’t give them that
    • they don’t want to get injured and they’re looking for a health and fitness expert who can not only train them but also educate them
    • they’re looking for someone who will be just as invested in achieving their goals just as the clients are
    • they’re afraid – they’re afraid to fail. But some are also afraid to succeed – what would they do with a new healthy body?

 

It’s absolutely natural to feel fear. It’s human nature. Not knowing what lies ahead or where your journey will take you is scary. But my job is to lessen that fear by being right by your side guiding and encouraging you along the way.

 

There are many factors to consider, but I hope that this article has helped you make a decision. It makes me happy that you’re even reading this because it means that you’re ready to make a change.

 

>>Contact me to see how I can help you achieve your health and fitness goals.

 

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