The holidays are a time when friends and family gather together and celebrate. For many of us, this means quite a bit of eating and not a lot of moving around. In these scenarios, it can be hard to stay on track and keep up a healthy lifestyle. Here are five tips to keep you on track this holiday.
Find Balance In What You Are Eating
When you are constantly in front of food it can be hard to know when you’ve had enough. However, when you are keeping track of exactly what you are eating it is easier to find balance and not over eat. For example, you ate a big Thanksgiving Day meal, to stay balanced only have a small slice of pie for dessert. Or if you are planning on trying all of the five pies your Aunt Sally made, make sure you shrink your dinner portion. Keeping track of each meal and even planning ahead if you can, will make it harder to fall off the wagon.
Take Seconds
At your holiday meal, take a small portion first and if you are still hungry grab another serving.
I know when I see a holiday meal my first thought is to fill my plate, but this holiday I am focused on taking smaller portions. Taking a small first serving will allow your mind to catch up to your stomach to realize that you are full. When your plate is full you are more likely to feel the need to finish everything. However, when you take a smaller portion you are able to eat everything on your plate. Then take the time to figure out if your still hungry and go grab a second helping.
Challenge Yourself, But Not In The Way You Think
What motivates a lot of people including myself is proving someone wrong even if that person is yourself. In the case of the holidays the expectation is that everyone is going to gain weight. What if you challenge yourself to stay within a certain range of weight until January 1st. This will push you to continue working out and watching what you are eating, but not stressing out about trying to a lose weight at a time where that seems almost impossible.
Try At Home Workouts
During the holidays in most places it is cold outside. Like really cold. This makes getting yourself out of the house for a workout really difficult. Try at home workouts. This completely eliminates the excuses. You literally put your workout clothes on and start your workout. One of the best resources for at home workouts is YouTube. Just getting 30 minutes of exercise a day can help you stay on track during the colder months.
BYOF
Bring Your Own Food. I am not saying you need to cook your own meal and heat it up in the microwave at grandma’s house. Bringing a side dish or dessert that is a healthier option will give you something to eat that you know is good for you and you’ll impress your family with the fact that you:
- brought something
- can cook a tasty food that is actually healthy
Overall, people will be impressed, and you will win at the holidays.
BONUS TIP!!
Do Not Weight yourself two days after your holiday meal. We eat a ton of salty foods during the holidays, and the bloat alone will tip the scales. Give yourself a break, go get a workout in, and then weight yourself after a day or two of getting back on your routine. This will give you a better idea of what your actual weight is and not just discourage you.
What are some of your tips to stay on track during the holidays? Let me know in the comments below!
