Top 3 Ways to Stay Fit Through the Holidays - by Personal Trainer Sarah Enouen

For a lot of us, the holiday season means a full work load, amped up social calendar, and sprinkle in some travel on top of all of that. You barely have time to sleep, so what's the first thing to go? The things that are keeping you fit. Doesn't make much sense, huh?

Here are the top three things you can do to beat this trend:

#1: Commit to movement.

So you may not be able to make it to camp, or have time to drive to the gym and get in a workout, but you can make time for a 20-30 minute body weight workout at home. We post a workout every week here on this very blog! (Wink and a nudge...) Set a timer and move as much as possible during that time.

#2: Buy fast AND healthy options for food.

One thing I hear most when people tell me why they are not eating healthy is that, "I just chose the fastest option." I get it. When crunched for time, go with what takes the least amount of time. You can make this happen with healthy food! If you bought pre-cut veggies and hummus, and you didn't buy chips and dip, guess what you are going to eat for a quick bite...

You can buy grilled meats and roasted veggies for a prepared meal at the grocery store on the way home. You'll spend less time than you would if you ordered a pizza and had to wait around for it to get there. And you can eat as SOON as you get home. No getting hangry.

#3: Listen to your body's hunger cues.

Listening for hunger cues goes two ways. Listen for when you are hungry, and listen for when you are full. Don't let yourself go so long without food on a busy day that you are starving, it's much easier to eat more than you may normally eat. On the flip side, eat slow enough that you can feel when you are getting full.

Me personally, when I'm busy, I don't feel hunger in my stomach. I start to yawn. If I go even longer than that, I get a headache, and then I know I waited way too long. When I'm eating a big meal, as soon as I take that first big breathe, you know the one, I know that I have reached the satisfied level. If I go beyond that, I am full and have over eaten by way too much.

If you are used to your "fastest option" not being a healthy one, these three tips will take some thought and a little planning, but they are very doable. You can make it through this holiday season keeping all of your fitness gains, and not gaining a higher body fat percentage.

Stay fit my friends!