The holidays are here and it can be a very challenging time of year. Maybe more this year than ever before. I know it has been for me! However, the one thing I have been diligent with is my health. My health has become my number one priority which means I do all I can to exercise, eat correctly, and continue creating healthy boundaries for me and my family.
With the being said, staying on track with my fitness goals can be a HUGE challenge during the holidays. Like most, I am more busy now than throughout the whole year, various events that center around food, and the baking that is a must! However, I have learned that even though it’s a challenge to not go “CRAZY” during the holidays it is not impossible to maintain healthy boundaries that will allow you not only enjoy the season but still feel amazing!
With these 5 tips you may just see how easy it actually can be.
Have that conversation with yourself prior to any event that you will be attending over the holidays. Give yourself grace and allow yourself to enjoy the things you love the most. If you love a Christmas cocktail, allow yourself 1 or 2.Try drinking water in between alcoholic beverages or highly-sugared cocktails. Same goes for desserts. If there is a dessert you just love, don’t suppress yourself from it. Enjoy that brownie but maybe cut it in half before indulging in more. More than likely, you will find that you are pleased with the amount originally and feel content.
Naturally, it more fun to eat while socializing. To me, they seem to go hand-in-hand. However, have you ever notice how much we “graze” food just because we are socializing. It seems to be my biggest downfall. As a social butterfly, I find that I hover over the food for all my conversations and before you know it I have eaten half of the baked brie! Learning to walk away from the “food circle” or making one small plate of food limits the unnecessary binging and I still feel I was able to enjoy the things I love most.
Sometimes no matter how hard you try you cannot escape poor food choices. They surround you and the temptation is all over the place because there is no other option. However, sometimes these events bring opportunity to bring your own dish. If this is the case, be smart with your own dish. This is an opportunity to make your own food and not look rude. HAHA. Make a dish that you love that isn’t full of poor choices. That way, you can fill your plate with your healthy goodness and keep the choices that aren’t so great to a minimal.
This may seem silly but it works every single time. Drink your water. First of all, most of us are probably not even getting the adequate amount of water during this time of year. It isn’t as hot and we are more busy so we tend to just forget. Statistics prove that drinking 8 ounces of water prior to any meal can drastically reduce your appetite which in return will keep you from overeating. So before heading out to that next party, take a water bottle with you and drink it prior to your event. This may just be the game changer for you. Throughout the evening, same rules apply. Read Tip #1 again.
At the end of the day, give yourself grace. This is a time for friends and family. A time to get together with the ones who bring you the most joy. If falling off track with your fitness goals happens, know that tomorrow is a new day. Don’t punish yourself for overindulging. Shame on eating brings nothing but anxiety, stress and sadness. Be good to yourself. Think positive. A positive-healthy mind will bring a positive-healthy body inside and out!