The Secret to Staying on Track During the Holidays

 

I honestly can not believe it is already December. The holidays are in full swing so I thought it would be a good time to share some ideas to help you stay on track with your health through the holidays.

I want to start by saying, I believe in balance.  Enjoying yourself on holidays is incredibly important in my opinion. I know most of the time, the parties and memory making are centered around food. I don’t think restricting yourself makes for an enjoyable time. But in my experience, eating everything in sight does not make me feel great either. The point of this post is to give some ideas on how to create the healthy balance. Please feel no shame in how you choose to eat over the holidays.

Alright, let’s get started!

Here are my tips to staying on track through the holidays.

– Prioritize exercise and schedule it in

When I workout, especially first thing in the morning, it sets my day up for success. I am more likely to make better food choices. Make time to move your body and plan a time when you can commit. If you need workout ideas, I share at home workouts HERE and gym workouts HERE. If you know me, you know exercising regularly creates MAGIC and I feel it’s especially important during the holidays.

– Eat high protein and vegetable meals

When I know I’m going to a holiday party with lots of yummy food, I make sure to eat high protein balanced meals before I go. If I am starving when I arrive to a party, it’s usually a disaster. Most of the fun foods I enjoy at get togethers are typically not high protein and usually they don’t have many vegetables. I make sure to get plenty of these during the day before I go.

-Stay hydrated

A lot of the time when we feel hungry, we are actually thirsty. Staying hydrated is important for so many things. But it can really help curb cravings and to help avoid overeating.

-Only consume foods you actually enjoy

This seems like common sense right? In the past I have found myself feeling pressure to eat everything provided at family functions. I’ve learned that this is not the case and I only eat foods that I love. Do not eat something if you won’t truly enjoy it. I also lean towards the homemade nostalgic dishes instead of the store bought chips and cookies. I can have those anytime and I’m not going to waste calories on those during the holidays.

-Do not restrict entire food groups

From my personal experience, when I tell myself I’m not going to eat sugar, sugar is all I think about the rest of the day. Restriction creates obsessive thoughts. (This is why I love the macro approach to eating so much. No restriction of food groups.) I tend to do better at parties when I tell myself I’m going to enjoy 1-2 of my favorite treats and be done. I satisfy my sweet tooth and I don’t have a stomach ache when I go home later that night.

-Don’t over think or stress

It has taken me years to get to a point of balance with eating and holiday parties. I used to let my guilt of overeating consume my thoughts the whole party. Now I make mindful choices when I’m filling my plate. I choose foods that will help fill me up and make me feel good after. If I tend to overeat, I don’t beat myself up. I give thanks that I got to enjoy a holiday with loved ones and I get back on track the next day. Staying on track doesn’t have to be overwhelming and stressful. Allow yourself to enjoy the holiday.

These are my top tips for enjoying the holidays without guilt. Please remember that memories are more important than stressing about food! I hope you enjoy your holiday season. Sending love and light.