Keeping Healthy Through the Holidays (No Weight Gain Required)

December is here, and with it comes the holiday season!

While this year may look slightly (or a lot) different for many of us, it’s certainly a time when our regular healthy habits can fall by the wayside if we’re not careful.

The holidays, however, don’t have to be synonymous with “putting on pounds” and “getting off track”.

Here are a few tips to finish this last month strong while still enjoying everything the season has to offer.

1) Avoid the “Holiday Pass.” 

The Holiday Pass is when you permit yourself to throw all your hard work out the window in the name of the holidays and commit to “begin fresh” in the New Year.

The “Holiday Pass” is similar to the “Weekend Pass,” wherein we act as if those days don’t really count. We eat well during the week, but when the weekend rolls around, it’s kind of like game over – we’ll start fresh again on Monday! (This is why people often plateau or, worse, gain back whatever they lost during the week.)

Keep in mind that just like on the weekend, you can eat well AND enjoy the holiday treats. You can exercise AND enjoy rest & relaxation. It doesn’t have to be one or the other.

2) Be Selective. 

You don’t need to deprive yourself but choose your indulgences wisely. Think quality over quantity.

We look forward to enjoying some things once a year during the holidays; then there is the stuff wrapped up with festive packaging but actually available any time of year if you look for it (similar to Halloween candy).

It’s okay if you still want to indulge in these things but enjoy a reasonable portion size. Set a limit for yourself (i.e. two chocolate truffles vs the whole box). If you’re worried about a particular gathering/party/dinner turning into a free for all, go in with a plan by deciding how much you will consume of a specific thing (i.e. sweets, alcohol) ahead of time.

3) Stick with Your Routine. 

Just because we’re partaking in the holiday festivities, perhaps indulging more than usual, imbibing, etc., doesn’t mean that our whole routine has to slide. Having structure is a great thing.

The more you can stick with your regular healthy habits throughout it all: think drinking plenty of water, keeping up with your regular workout routine, eating well, limiting snacking, getting quality sleep, etc., the more likely you’ll go through the month feeling energized and less likely to give yourself the “Holiday Pass” as per point number one.

Here’s to finishing the year strong!

xo Elaine