FALL-ing for Fitness – Spiel the Beans
Welcome today to the first October Spiel the Beans! The holidays will be here before we know it and between all things pumpkin, halloween candy and Thanksgiving the turkey isn’t the only thing in danger of fattening up. Katy and I are sharing our tips for keeping fitness at the forefront through the holidays while still enjoying all the festivities. We really hope you will all share your tips as well.
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This time of year when things cool off a bit and we begin adding layers and leggings do in fact become pants some days, it is really easy to throw a healthy lifestyle out the window and indulge at every opportunity. I am currently still paying for living with little to no restrictions all summer and unless I take some action I could definitely see myself add another 10 pounds before spring. Here are few things I’m doing to help off set the extra calories I may consume!
1. Fitness Tracker – I upgraded to a Fitbit Blaze over the summer after winning one through my office. With the latest upgrade I’ve been able to not only set my number of steps but now receive a little prompt to let me know how many steps I have left within the hour to hit 250. I’m not super competitive anymore with other people but I will totally compete with myself. I have been making sure to get up and walk the floor I work on multiple times per day and am working on averaging 7K steps per day. I’d love to hit 10K every single day but 7K seems to be more manageable. I have also been able to set the number of workouts I plan to log each week and made it clear to a few friends at the gym I need some accountability.
2. Drink plenty of water – My goal is to drink 64oz of water every single day. I am not counting coffee or tea but do count my spark. According to Web MD, however, it is now believed the diuretic effects of coffee and tea to not discount the benefit of the water. I have been doing whatever I can to be sure to chug the water and also started logging water in the Fitbit. Not only does this make me feel less bloated, which for me also makes me less likely to binge eat, it has also helped so much with my skin during this drier time of year.
3. 80/20 Rule – By eating healthy 80% of the time, I don’t feel nearly as guilty about a cheat meal for a special occasion. I have been logging all my food, even the bad food, and really what I have found is by not restricting myself I’m more likely to make better choices and save the splurge for truly special occasions.
4. Get Plenty of Sleep – This time of year more than any other I am so guilty of staying up really late and burning the midnight oil. If I’m working out at 5:30am I really need to be heading to bed at a decent time or by the end of the week I’m toast and more than likely going to sleep right through my workout. This has been another one of my fave features of the Fitbit! I set my sleep time and have not been receiving a little prompt 30 minutes before bedtime and mentally it has made me take note and at least head that direction.
5. Find a Buddy – Whether it is a friend or a family member, you are less likely to skip a workout if you are meeting someone else. The weather has cooled off enough so taking that walk with the family after dinner is also an option. This time of year, in Texas at least, there are tons of 5ks to choose from and many are super family friendly. Get the kids excited about a turkey trot and log some bonding time along with your fitness.
I began using a bullet journal the last week of September and it is really helping me to stay accountable each day by using a habit tracker. Even simple things such as washing my face every night really helps me feel more positive about myself and I’m always more likely to make good choices when I’m feeling my best.
So what are your tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle during the holiday season? We are all ears and I cannot wait to learn from others! Be sure to mark your calendars for October 25th when we share a Haunted Tale or just something you have done that is scary. I still can’t believe mine!
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I just set up the bedtime thing on my phone. Going to bed at a reasonable hour is a challenge for me. Sometimes I stay up once everyone is in bed to get things done and I really just need to head to bed
Great tips, girl! I like how you log all the food. Even the bad ones.
Yes, yes, yes… and how about 60/40 :P. Hey at least that is eating healthy over half of the time HA! But seriously I am TRYING. Drinking water is something I have been rocking lately. I need to keep it up. It really helps to curb my appetite as well.
That's my problem Beth…I think I have definitely have been on more of a 60/40 or 50/50 roll for too long! My 45+ year old self isn't having any of it. lol
Being accountable is the only thing that works for me Sarita. Sometimes it makes me realize I'm subconsciously being better than I thought….and sometimes my eyes our opened really wide at how much I really ate. 🙂
It is my biggest struggle Kimm! I am a night owl and would just prefer the quiet house at night but I have honestly found that I really accomplish more if I go to bed on time and wake up super early to a quiet house. And I feel more peaceful all day!
We are going to be trying that fitbit! Can't wait to see how it works out!
Great tips! I really need to get more sleep. I think I get around 6 to 6.5 hours of sleep each night. I think my next splurge will be a Fossil version of the fit-bit and hopefully it will motivate me to keep moving.
I want an Apple watch something awful Jessica!! But when I won a fitbit and was able to upgrade for minimal cost to the blaze I totally decided it was worth a shot. I've been pleasantly surprised with what it has offered….I just need to order some cuter bands for it. 🙂
I'm really loving it Melissa. It was totally not on my radar until I won it. 🙂 It's been a pleasant surprise.
I'm obsessed with my fit bit, and while sometimes I'm in challenges with others, I am mainly in a challenge with myself. My goal every week is to go 500 to 1000 more in a seven day stretch then I did the week before. Where I need the motivation is to do better with my toning and stretching exercises. As you know this aging thing is doing saggy things to my body and I got to be more diligent about my crunches leg lifts and push-ups. And of course I need help with my sugar, ha ha! I do indulge but during the holidays I try to limit myself to just one thing of something yummy instead of going back for another but so so hard! I only justify calories if it's something that's super good if it's not something my taste buds are going to do a party for then I don't even go for it. Great tips!
I am so, so thankful that I recently found a new walking buddy. It is making a huge difference in how often I walk, and I love the extra motivation. I love my fitbit too. I just wear the clip on version, and like to see how often I can break 10k or 15k steps. Your fitness tips are all so good…now if I could just follow them! Have a terrific Tuesday!
This is perfection – and so true! I just read a quote in this months Harper bizarre and it said "eat clean to stay fit, eat a burger to stay sane" thanks for sharing!
I am looking forward to the Haunted Tales – I have a couple of creepy ghost encounters!
Please come join us Robin! Can't wait to hear your ghost stories!
Haha….for real right now if I could just have some reeses pumpkins I might eat the entire bag! PMS is in full effect at my house..urg
That is so great Tanya! Perfect timing too since the weather is starting to cool off. I just really need the exercise for my mental health these days. I can so tell the difference when I layoff. Hope you are having a super week!
I definitely catch myself having an internal conversation sometimes reminding myself that what I'm about to try is not really all that satisfying in the end. I had a trainer tell me once….you don't need that cookie you already know what it tastes like and you will just end up wearing it. LOL!
I like having a dietary balance. A bit of bad doesn't hurt if you do it in moderation.