Halloween marks the beginning of what ends up being months of holiday celebrations with foods whose primary ingredient is sugar. At SWEAT in Dallas, TX, we believe that a body transformation requires a healthy diet and consistent exercise routine, which is why it’s so important not only to stay committed to your diet and workouts during the holiday season but also to minimize sugar consumption. We have some tips to help you reduce your sugar consumption before the holiday season is in full swing to avoid derailing your diet and sabotaging your chances of reaching your fitness goals.
1. Don’t Eat the Leftover Halloween Candy
Sugar addictions don’t take long to develop; all it takes is a few instances of over-indulging, and suddenly, what wasn’t a problem is now a full-fledged addiction. An easy way to avoid a sugar addiction is to eliminate that leftover Halloween candy. Now that Halloween is over, get the candy out of your house.
Throw it out or give it away. Your kids don’t need the sugar (or the chemicals, artificial ingredients, and preservatives) found in most Halloween candy, nor do you.
2. Start Researching Healthier Recipes Now
Thanksgiving dinner will be here before you know it, a holiday known for foods loaded with sugar. From marshmallow-topped sweet potato casseroles to pecan, chocolate, and pumpkin pies, sugar will be the main ingredient at almost every dinner table in the country this month, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
If you’re having dinner at a family member or friend’s home, you may not be able to control the entire menu, but you can control what you bring and what you eat. Make your contribution to the dinner a healthy one so you’ll have something you can eat that won’t derail your diet.
3. Overhaul Your Diet and Your Pantry
Sugar is in almost everything. The foods that you wouldn’t think of as sugary often have sugar. It’s in salad dressings, ketchup, mixed drinks, tomato sauce, and other savory food items. Go through your pantry, read your food labels, and swap those sugary items for low-sugar or sugar-free options. Make these simple swaps, and you’ll be one step closer to a low-sugar diet simply by removing those foods that don’t need it.
Then, you can do the hard work of eliminating those addictive, sugary foods from your diet and your pantry, like chocolates, candy, sweetened cereals, and more. The good news is that once you limit or eliminate processed sugars, natural sugars will taste that much sweeter because you’ll no longer be living with that low-level or all-consuming sugar addiction.
4. Track Your Food
There’s something about tracking your food that provides you with automatic accountability. Once you see the number of calories you’re eating or how much sugar you consume daily, you’re faced with the reality of your diet. Seeing those macros in black and white will make it harder to pick up those foods because now you’ll know just how many calories and grams of sugar you’re actually consuming.
If you want to lose weight and gain muscle fast, tracking your food and working with a personal trainer is an easy way to do so. Our personal trainers can design a customized workout regimen that accommodates your fitness level, helps you reach your body composition goals, and help you stay committed to your new low-sugar lifestyle.
5. Don’t Skip the Gym
Regular exercise burn calories, but it can also balance and lower your blood sugar levels. You’ll never regret even a quick 30-minute workout during even the busiest of holiday seasons. You will always feel better leaving the gym than you did walking in. Regular workouts combined with your attempts to avoid excess sugar will initiate a body transformation that will result in increased energy levels, more lean muscle mass, and reduced stubborn fat.
Working with a trainer can help you stay committed to your goals during the holiday season; it’s easier to get to the gym when you know your session is scheduled and your trainer will be waiting.
Make Your Holiday Season a Healthy One
If you need a gym to call home or you’re looking for a personal trainer who can help you transform your body and provide the accountability you need, our team of fitness professionals is ready to help you become the healthiest, fittest version of yourself. Contact us today at SWEAT in Dallas, TX, to learn more about our memberships, facility, group classes, and personal training.
