One Move to Mastering the Holiday Pre-Party

Many people indulge in a drink or five before heading to a party, but this kind of behavior can be detrimental to your diet. Not only are you consuming extra calories, you’re also lowering your inhibitions before you even hit the buffet.

According to a Swiss study, people who drink before they go out are almost twice as likely to experience the negative consequences of alcohol. This is because people who pre-drink tend to drink more and drink faster. As a result, they’re more likely to:

• Experience hangovers
• Engage in unplanned drug use
• Experience blackouts
• Have unplanned and/or unprotected sex 
• Injure oneself or someone else
• Damage property 

Pre-drinking can also add up to 1,000 calories to your night, which is more than half of the daily requirements for a lot of people. Mind you, in the face of these other consequences, extra calories are probably going to be the least of your worries.

Don’t pre-drink: workout!

Instead of powering back a few pints, do some exercise. Not only does a workout release endorphins, which will turn you into a dazzling conversationalist, it will also give you a feel-good buzz. What’s more, working out will help make you better able to focus.

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found a direct link between inactivity and loss of brain function. Muscle activity essentially cues healthy brain-to-nerve receptor communication.

Lead researcher, Dr Jeff W. Lichtman concludes, “If you lose activity, you lose receptors. But if you regain activity, you get those receptors back.” Working out prior to a big event will increase your concentration, and let’s face it, being able to calmly and reasonably deal with temptation at a holiday party may actually be the greatest gift of all.

HIIT IT!

Doing a strength based HIIT workout prior to a special event will also increase your metabolism for 24 hours after your session. Just keep in mind that while boosting your metabolism may give you an excuse to enjoy a little treat, it’s not going to justifying stuffing your face.