The holiday season is in full swing and I don’t know about you but I am taking all the extra time to soak up the cheer. 2020 sure has been a crazy year and I want all the Christmas spirit!
The holidays can be a time where health goals are thrown to the wayside, booze & treats flow freely, and you end up feeling like you need a juice cleanse come January 1st. First and foremost – you don’t need a juice cleanse. Please don’t. And second of all – you absolutely can enjoy this season and still FEEL GOOD at the end of it. Remember, being healthy is about feeling good, helping your body to thrive the way it’s meant to. It’s not about hyper-restriction of your favorite foods or living under a rock all season long.
Keep reading for my top holiday tips to help you ENJOY the season while still feeling great at the end of it.
First and foremost, enjoy the time with your friends and family. Do your best, don’t stress. Don’t obsess over your food choices and your weight during this time. It’s okay to eat a Christmas cookie. It’s okay to not worry about the calorie count of the Figgy Pudding or Christmas morning pancakes.
With that being said, you also don’t need to turn the next twenty days into a three week food festival. Eat your normal routine as much as you can. And then be okay with eating “off” it during special meals.
My current clients take action by prioritizing their schedule of holiday events so they can choose which they want to indulge in and which don’t really matter to them. That way they can stick to their healthy eating routine for the boring office party and therefore enjoy Grandma’s home-cooked meal without a second thought.
The benefit of working with a coach is having someone to help you work through these situations and develop personalized solutions that allow you to enjoy your holidays while still pursuing good health (and not feeling BLAH at the end of it).
Be selective when it comes to holiday treats. There are probably a lot around you right now and asking yourself the questions below can help you decide which ones to eat and which ones to pass on.
Choose the one(s) you love and skip the others. You don’t have to eat every item just because it is there. Remember that you can have a cookie any time of the year, so you don’t have to eat them all just because it’s Christmas!
Sometimes we over-consume novel foods and foods we place “off-limits” other times of the year. Understanding basic nutritional principles helps you realize that you can have these types of food anytime you choose, so there’s less need to overdo it when they show up during the holidays.
The holidays typically mean lots of booze, more opportunities, and more pressure to consume. Always remember that YOU are in control of your body and what goes into it. If you don’t want to drink, you don’t have to. Club soda and lime, mocktails, seltzer water, sparkling water, kombucha, and coffee are all great options if you go the non-booze route.
If you are boozing, consider using these strategies:
Don’t fall into the trap of trying to “work off” what you ate. It’s really not possible. Learn to separate your food from your exercise and I promise you will enjoy both a whole lot more.
That doesn’t mean you need to be sedentary though! Get out and enjoy this special time with fun, seasonal activities! Head to the ice skating rink, go for a winter hike, park your car and walk around to look at lights instead of driving through the neighborhood. Bundle up and don’t be scared of the cold!
Move when you want, exercise if it makes you feel good, but don’t even think about “earning” your carbs. You need food whether you worked out or not.
And that’s a wrap! I hope this tips help you have a healthy & happy holiday season.
-Emily
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I help you steer clear of fad diets and the latest exercise trends and educate you with practical knowledge that actually works.