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Can you have a healthy post-holiday detox?

January 14, 2014

The holidays have come and gone, as have the indulging in sweets and libations. You have put on a little extra poundage between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, but now it’s time to reset and re-focus with a post-holiday detox.

Whether you’re hoping to drop that extra weight from too many cookies, want to tone up your muscles to see more definition, improve your diet plan or expand your endurance level on your home gym equipment, engaging in a healthy detox is a excellent way to examine your fitness and nutrition plans and make adjustments where it’s necessary in order to fully achieve your goals this year.

Tips to have a successful post-holiday detox
Create a positive environment:
A great way to be successful with your detox is to take control of your surroundings. You can start by doing a clean sweep of your kitchen and pantry. Any foods that are processed or unhealthy can be tossed. It’s also a good idea to get rid of any “trigger” foods that can lead to binge eating. For those with a sweet tooth, this could be candy and people who prefer salty foods might not be able to keep chips in the house. Once you’ve cleaned the kitchen, head to the grocery store and stock up on fruits, veggies and other healthy snacks. Sticking to the outer limits of the store helps ensure you’re choosing clean, nutritious meals that will keep you on track. It’s also helpful to pre-make lunches for work so you don’t get stuck having to run to a fast food place during your lunch hour.

Plan out your workouts: Organizing a fitness schedule can help keep you on track with your home treadmill. Planning workouts in advance ensures that you have time blocked off to exercise, like riding your recumbent exercise bike, so you can’t use the excuse that you got too busy. Knowing in advance when each session will occur during the week can help you mentally start to prep for the workout. Working toward an end goal, such as running a mile without stopping, is also helpful. As you work toward that, you can also set up weekly achievements to reach to keep your confidence high.

Eat breakfast every day: You may have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it’s true. Taking the time to have a nutritious breakfast, especially something high in fiber and protein, keeps your metabolism balanced all day compared to skipping it. Breakfast can also keep you fuller for longer in the morning, helping you avoid mindless snacking and taking in unnecessary calories. After a full night’s sleep, your body needs to refuel and requires that energy boost to really get going in the morning. Eating breakfast within an hour of waking keeps your body from going into starvation mode and helps you stay alert throughout the day. Try an omelet loaded with veggies for a quick and easy way to start the day off right.

Get a full night’s sleep: Sleep is also crucial for proper functioning, and it can sabotage weight loss if you get not enough hours of rest each night. In order for your body to behave as it should and process what you eat successfully, it needs those seven to eight hours each night to rejuvenate and reset. Lack of slumber can actually cause you to gain weight, so to avoid detox sabotage, create a nighttime routine and try and get to bed around the same time each night to make sure you get enough sleep.