Just couldn't pass up that second helping of turkey at Thanksgiving dinner?
The average person gains five to seven pounds over the holidays, but when many families are busy traveling to visit relatives or stuck at the mall holiday shopping, exercise may not be as high a priority as it is during the warmer months.
To help avoid the dreaded winter weight gain, Us Weekly enlisted the help of National Fitness Expert and trainer with Gold's Gym, Nikki Kimbrough, to offer her three top tips to stay fit while on the go.
1. Start with a hearty breakfast! "Save the pancakes, bacon and sausage for cheat days," Kimbrough advises, instead suggesting foods like protein-rich eggs and oatmeal, which actually — believe it or not — helps prevent weight gain. "Oatmeal keeps your insulin level low and steady," Kimbrough explains. Other quick, portable breakfast options? Greek-style yogurt or a protein shake. Kimbrough likes to make hers blended with berries, almond milk or a tablespoon of peanut butter.
2. Don't skip your workout just because you're on vacation! Regardless of where you're traveling to this season, Kimbrough advocates building in just 30 minutes into your day for a workout. If you're visiting family away from home, take advantage of the hotel's athletic facility. On Demand fitness programming is also a solid alternative to gym equipment. Kimbrough recommends the P90X Insanity DVD or Gold's Gym's downloadable Kettle Bell workout available at GoldsGym.com.
3. Plan ahead! Whether its choosing a family vacation locale that allows for winter sports like skiing or snowbording (which can torch over 400 calories an hour!) or simply packing low-calorie, high fiber snacks, Kimbrough can't say enough about thinking ahead. "One way to avoid eating extra holiday calories is to bring healthy snacks with you," says our expert. "This allows you to eat something every three hours so you're not putting your body in starvation mode — or binging on anything you can get your hands on later."
WIN IT! To help keep your workout routine on track, enter Us' Holiday Essentials daily giveaway to score a Zumba Exhilarate DVD set. To enter, email your name, address, daytime phone number and age (must be over 21) to Giveaways@usmagazine.com. You must put 'Holiday Fit Essentials' in the subject line of your email in order to be eligible. All entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, November 30. Click here for official rules.
