Magnum's Guide to Winning the Holiday Season
The holiday season can be a stressful time to stay on track with your fitness goals. After working hard for eleven months out of the year, you don’t need to put your goals on the back burner to enjoy all that December has to offer.
Here are some tips to stay on track and win the holiday season from Magnum Sales Manager & IFBB Pro, Rachel Killam.
Start with a Protein-Rich Breakfast
Start your day with a protein-packed meal with added fats, such as scrambled eggs and avocado or Quattro protein pancakes with peanut butter. The protein/fat combination will keep you fuller for longer and stabilize insulin levels, reducing the temptation to snack throughout the day.
Don’t Stop Moving Your Body
If you need to put your regularly scheduled training on hold for holiday events, make sure you incorporate some movement into your daily routine. Go for a walk, try a condensed routine made of super-sets/giant sets, or an at-home workout on days you're short on time. Make the most out of your movements with the right supplement, like Fasted Cardio. It will energize you and heat you up from your core to make you break a sweat faster.
Train Smarter
If you can, plan your bigger lifting days or higher volume days around holiday meals when possible. Rachel recommends hitting legs or back on these days because they are larger muscle groups that typically require higher energy expenditure. Put those extra calories to good use!
Eat with Intention
There’s no need to feel guilty about enjoying your favourite holiday foods! You can have your cake and stay lean too.
Eat your veggies, greens, and protein before digging into the carb-heavy mashed potatoes and mac and cheese. If you are looking to enjoy a boozy beverage, opt for a sugar-free mix with your hard liquor such as seltzer, diet soda, or even water, with calorie-free water flavouring. These options are low in sugar and carbs, leaving you with more calories to enjoy dinner and dessert.
Don’t forget to eat slowly - chew to digest and enjoy your food! It takes time for your brain to recognize that you’re full, so give yourself at least 15 minutes before going back for seconds.
The sweetest thing about the holidays is not the desserts; it’s the people you spend time with and the new memories you make. There is so much more that happens over the dinner table than just eating a meal!
Rachel is Magnum’s Sales Manager and resident IFBB Figure Pro. She has been with Magnum for a collective 6 years and has been competing for a decade. This year alone, Rachel has competed in four IFBB Pro competitions. What she is looking forward to most this holiday season is connecting with her loved ones.