After a whole summer of watching what we eat and keeping up with those abs and butt challenges, suddenly the holidays are upon us. As much as I look forward to Thanksgiving and the winter holiday season, I also dread the whole ball of wax. The starch-heavy feasts, the fatty meat dishes, the pastries, the cookies, most of my favorite candies, the eggnog lattes (seriously, they’re delicious)… And on top of it all, traveling to visit family, which means a total disruption of my workout routine. How can we keep all of our hard work from going to waste, and keep our sanity through what passes for winter here in Florida?
First of all, don’t drive yourself crazy by trying to stick to a super strict diet through all of the holidays. You can let yourself enjoy the flavors of the season, but just keep it in your mind that a taste is what you’re after. It’s all about portion control. Making the rounds of all the Thanksgiving standards, even taking a little taste of each dish can leave you with a heaping plate. Add a full slice of pumpkin pie and a couple of glasses of eggnog (am I really the only one who’s addicted?) and you’ve racked up an insange number of calories, and more importantly sugar. My approach is to pick one starch, a protein, and veggies are free (although most veggies around now are slathered in butter or cream or sugar, so keep all of that in mind). I try my best to stick to actual portions.
A very handy guide to portion sizes. (see what I did there?)
As aerialists, we are in a privileged group of people. Our “workout” is our passion, something we really love. It is not a chore for us. So whether we have to travel away from the gorgeous serenity of Lotus Fitness, or our family comes to town and makes us feel guilty for going to class, the holidays are bound to disrupt our usual routine. I have come to a point in my life where I feel comfortable asking my family members and even friends from out of town if they would mind my going to class for an hour or two. Most of the time, they need some down time to take a nap or veg out anyway, so it’s a nice break for everyone.
If you have to travel, look for an aerial studio to visit while you are there! Or, when I’m visiting my parents in rural Georgia, I suggest long walks as a family, swimming at the community pool, or I go for an early morning jog on my own. The key is to look for ways to keep your body moving until you can get back to your favorite apparatus.
Don’t forget, the holidays are also really fun times at the studio! We run a few awesome special events. Keep an eye out for Allison’s yearly Santa themed strip tease workshop and our Winter Open House! Most importantly, remember that the holidays are just a short chunk of the year. These disruptions are temporary. So enjoy them! Live it up! Lotus will be here waiting for you. See you in the air!
Sexy santa? Yes please!
One of our all-star aerialists gets in the holiday spirit!