I LOVE the holiday season! It’s my favorite time of the year – I love everything about this time of year – the decorating, the celebrations, the weather, the gift-giving, the food, the whole feeling in the air! What I don’t love is waking up in January 10 lbs heavier! It doesn’t have to be that way though. Paying attention to a few details here and there can save you from having to make that annoying New Year’s resolution again to lose the weight gained between Thanksgiving and New Years. So here’s my top ten SIMPLE holiday health tips that keep my health, weight, and sanity in check this time of year!
- Don’t skip meals! What? But I want to save room for Grandma’s famous ham at our family gathering tonight! And a piece or two of Great Aunt Mary’s cheesecake! Besides, if I starve myself all day and then eat my calorie allowance for the day at the party, I won’t gain weight, right? WRONG! Our bodies aren’t designed to process and digest that many calories at one time and when we go into a party or family feast really hungry, we’re definitely going to overeat. So eat small, healthy meals throughout the day and you’re less likely to overeat later!
- Pick your favorites. Don’t feel you have to try every single thing offered at an event! Glance over the table at a buffet before filling your plate and just take some of your absolute favorites. At our house, I have each family member pick their favorite Christmas cookie or candy early in December (in fact, we just made our list this morning) and then I make each one of those favorites once throughout the month. It’s made a huge difference from when I used to make every single cake, cookie, and candy recipe I came across! We found we didn’t even care that much for most of it but were just eating because it was there!
- Don’t make food the focus of your holiday celebrations! I know, it seems every family function is centered around food so this is easier said than done. But start working on creating holiday traditions that don’t focus just on food. Reflect on the real meanings of the season and your holidays will be more fulfilling in many ways.
- Keep healthy snacks on hand. This way you’re not grabbing for those Christmas cookies Cousin Martha dropped by this morning! Make sure you cupboards and fridge are stocked with quick healthy snacks that keep you full and give you energy.
- Stay hydrated. How can this help? Drinking water often throughout the day will curb your appetite. Even being just slightly dehydrated will make you feel tired and/or hungry!
- Don’t skip your workout. With all the busyness of the holidays it’s easy to push the daily workout to the back burner for the time being with that thought in the back of the head, “Oh, I’ll get back to it in January!”. The longer you wait though, the harder it is to start back up! Plus, with the extra calories you’re most likely consuming, you need the exercise now more than any other time! It doesn’t have to be an hour or two at the gym every day – even if it’s just a quick walk around the block a few times, make sure you get something in every day.
- Get enough sleep! We start pulling all-nighters to get it all in before Christmas or staying up late to watch those Christmas specials and the next thing we know we’re munching mindlessly on whatever is around! Get your rest!
- Be realistic and don’t set goals that are impossible during the holidays. I’ll be honest – I’ve done it myself. I didn’t maybe meet that weight loss goal I’d set last New Year’s so December 1st I set the goal to lose 20 lbs by this New Year’s! Uh, yeah, don’t think so! Set smaller goals or even just focus on maintaining your weight through the season.
- Start planning now for January! Just thinking about what your health and fitness goals will be for the new year can get you motivated to stay on track. Go ahead and plan your goals for the coming year – consider joining one of our Challenge Groups for January!
- Don’t stress if you mess up!!! There will be days when you just flat out mess up and over-indulge! It happens to us all. The key is to not give in over one mistake! Forgive yourself, pick up, and move on!
These holiday health tips have been a game changer for me throughout the Christmas season and I hope they can be for you too. The important thing though, is to just do your best and enjoy the season!