Here come the Holidays! Ready or not, it’s that time of year again where you loosen your purse strings and loosen your waistband. Spending and gorging go through the roof this time of year, and while your loved ones may enjoy your extra spending, your overindulgence in rich food and desserts often leaves you feeling regretful.
Yes you have that one uncle or sister who just doesn’t really like dessert (what’s wrong with them?!) and they have no problem staying trim and toned in their holiday attire. But you actually have a sense of taste and want to be able to enjoy the sweet parts of the holiday season without gaining 20 pounds and feeling terrible come January.
Read on to learn how to make the most of your holidays and maintain your healthy lifestyle at the same time.
Incorporate Exercise
Yes, we all end up eating way more than we plan to at all of our holiday events, but don’t add insult to injury by staying on the couch. Maintain your exercise routine or feel free to try something new.
Turkey Trot and Reindeer Run
There are tons of races happening this time of year and many people are catching on and taking advantage of the extra calorie burn. They also provide regular exercise for those who want to prepare for these races. Give yourself a new goal this year and a reason to stick to your workout regime by signing up for your next community race.
Minimize Stress
While the holidays are full of fun and laughter, they are also a major source of stress and anxiety for many, especially if you’re tasked with playing the “Hostess with the Mostest.” Exercise can be a great stress reliever and a positive way to manage your chaos. I recommend regular exercise, but at least get out and get some fresh air or hit the gym the morning of your big holiday meal to clear your mind and help you focus. Maybe this year you won’t forget the yams in the microwave…
Can’t get out of the house or don’t have time for a full workout, try this one instead. It only takes 12 minutes and you can get your burn in for the day and keep burning calories while you’re stuffing your face.
Get A Jumpstart On Your New Year’s Resolution
Another reason to get going through the holiday season is that it makes your New Year’s Resolution not so painful. So many people recommit to exercising and healthy living come January, only to break their new resolution after a few weeks. But they say that it takes 21 days to make a habit and if you start with at least a consistent exercise routine during the holidays, by the time you make your New Year’s resolution, you’re already on the right track.
Help Your Body Digest Your Meal
Spend some time with your family and get outside for an after-dinner walk. Not only will it help you burn off some of the calories you just ate, but it will also help your body digest all that food and get you out of the house so you don’t continue to snack when you’re not even hungry.
Think Ahead And Make A Plan
If you’re the one cooking your holiday meal, then you know what’s going into it. You have the power to make healthier choices in what you make and swap ingredients to make your dishes lighter. However, if you’re not doing the cooking, or if your family meal is more of a collaboration, then it’s important to make a game plan before the big day.
On the plus side, many families repeat their holiday meals year after year. You already expect to see mom’s mashed potatoes or dad’s deep friend turkey. You know grandma will bring her famous pumpkin pie and Aunt Shelley will have her homemade cranberry sauce. My point is that if you already know what food to expect, you can save yourself some calories by planning ahead. You don’t have to eat the sweet potato casserole if you already know you didn’t really like it last year. Or if you have multiple dinners to do in one day, save dessert for your grandma’s house where you know your favorite pie will be waiting for you.
Try It First, Then Fill Your Plate
Maybe your family isn’t as traditional and doesn’t repeat the same courses every year, or maybe everything just looks so good that you don’t want to miss out! Use the buffet method instead. Try a very small portion, think 1/8-1/4 cup each, of everything that looks good to you. Then, once you try it all, go back (if you’re still hungry) and get a modest portion of the things you liked most. This method also helps you eat less because your body has more time to feel full and you may find that you really aren’t very hungry when you go back up to fill your plate.
Portion Control
This leads us to our next topic: portion control. This is one of the hardest things for people to follow during the holidays, and it’s hard when almost all of your holiday traditions focus around eating.
Learn to love the buffet method (mentioned above) or remind yourself often what an appropriate portion size looks like. Then, you’ll be prepared when it’s time for your holiday meal. And yes, you may need to practice a little willpower but trust me, when the snowflakes disappear and that bikini in your closet starts making it’s appearance, you’ll be glad you kept it under control.
If your family tends to have a lunch-time dinner and then hang out for the day and have a second helping at dinnertime, keep this in mind when you’re eating your main meal. Many people, myself included, have a hard time keeping the portions small with the idea that you want to fully enjoy your favorite food before the day is over. But if you know you’re going to eat the same food again later, you can space out your meal components.
Either stick to modest portions, or save half your meal for later. For example, on Thanksgiving, eat your turkey, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce during the main meal and save your noodles, corn and sweet potato casserole for round two.
When The Party’s Over, Get Back On Track
One of the most important things to remember if you’re trying to stay on track during the holidays is to leave the sweets and the indulgence for the parties. If you focus on eating healthy and staying active on a daily basis and only indulge a little during the parties and family gatherings, you can maintain a heathy physique without losing what you’ve worked for.
Don’t Take The Leftovers!!!
A huge part of the holiday weight gain is that it often doesn’t happen just during the parties. After indulging at the big family meals and then collecting your leftovers, all that rich holiday food can stick around for days. By the time you finally get it all out of your house, you have another party to attend and just restock your supply of sweets. If you’re serious about maintaining your waistline this holiday season, don’t take the leftovers!
Instead, encourage your family cook more appropriate portions, or to freeze leftovers to give your body a break. Even better, get into the habit of donating your extra food. Seek out people in your neighborhood, especially elderly individuals, that maybe live alone or don’t have a lot of family. Make them up a plate or take them that extra pie that no one even saw. They will be touched by your kindness and you just saved yourself some extra calories.
There you have it! Use these tips to have a healthy holiday season without regretting your indulgences come the new year. If you have any healthy recipes or tips for the holidays, leave them in the comments. I’d love to hear about them!