3 Tricks to Staying Healthy during the Holidays
Staying healthy during the holidays. Haha. Ha. Hahaha.
I know, it might seem like a faraway dream or false reality, but I promise you can actually enjoy yourselves during the holidays AND stay on track with your nutrition without choking down a kale salad while wistfully looking at people devouring holiday treats. All it takes is 3 simple tricks in order to stay healthy throughout the holiday season.
Before I share those tricks though, the only I really encourage NOT doing, is to let yourself go ham and wildly stuff yourself with every single passing holiday-themed drink and cookie, resulting in feeling a bit pudgier and bad about yourself, then forcing a harsh detox/cleansing program when the New Year hits.
I believe that achieving healthy balance is about negating those extremes. Food is neither a reward nor a punishment, yet so many of us get caught up in the mindset of inevitably indulging in far more than intended, then wracked with guilt or denial in the days following.
That's no way to live.
I'm not saying it's the smoothest sailing or effortless, thanks to holiday office parties, holiday desserts left and right on Instagram, and more social events on the calendar than usual, but balance is absolutely possible with a little mindfulness and effort.
Here are my 3 tricks to staying healthy during the holidays:
1. Don't rely on willpower to get you through- stay mindful instead.
Your office party has the best spiked eggnog that you look forward to every year, and your mom's Christmas cookies are reason alone to go home for the holidays.
Don't guilt yourself about moderately enjoying your favorite indulgences. Small, occasional indulgences will not wreck your fitness efforts SO LONG AS the rest of your days and meals remain like your everyday routine, healthy meals.
Consistency ALWAYS wins.
2. Balance it out as you go. Don't "make up for it" later.
Know that you have an epic Christmas feast that evening? Make breakfast and lunch kickass chock-full of nutrition.
Get alllll those veggies and protein in earlier, if you know dinner is going to be a carb-fest. Then resume life as usual. Don't punish yourself the day after the feast with back to back fitness classes. Because guess what? You'll be starving afterwards, and those cookies will look that much more irresistible.
The devil is in the dose.
Savor and nurse that eggnog instead of gulping it down and needing to go for thirds within an hour. My rule is for every drink you have, hold and drink a glass of water in between.
3. Get Moving
Simply take all opportunities to move.
I absolutely will advocate for trying to schedule in even 30 minute structured workouts for yourself, but if it just isn't possible between spending time with the family + in-laws or hosting people, simply take all opportunities to get active and move.
Play charades, chase the kids around, take the stairs, have a dance party, or go on a walk together as a family after a meal. Food coma is REAL and the best way to physically feel better and avoid the carb/sugar crash afterwards is to just talk a walk.