7 Ways to Stay Healthy This Holiday Season
Have you ever woken up on January 1st, a bit disappointed in how you treated your body during the holiday season?
Without a plan in hand, it’s tough to stick to your healthy living goals with all the eggnog and sugar cookies floating around, not to mention the food pushers and saboteurs lurking in the shadows.
Even though 2020 is not like other years, it’s still a good idea to stay healthy even if you are not attending parties. Here are my top tips for staying healthy over this holiday season:
1. Don’t Skip Meals
It’s tempting to skip meals when you know you have a big dinner to attend. But this is the worst thing you can do. Skipping meals always leads to overeating. Plus, you run the risk of getting drunk if you head out hungry.
Instead of skipping meals, plan appropriately by adjusting your daily calories. Eat a lighter breakfast, lunch, and snack to give yourself some room for a moderate splurge. Use these 400 calories wisely and make sure it’s worth it.
2. Bring a Healthy Dish
If you are heading to a private dinner, offer to bring a healthy dish. Not only will this please the host, but it will also guarantee that you have something healthy and enjoyable to eat.
Need a healthy recipe? Reach out to me, and I’ll hook you up.
3. Pass on the “Good” Foods
Indulgences must be mind-blowingly good. So if you take a bite of something and the reality of the taste doesn’t meet your expectations, stop eating it. There’s no reason to spend your precious calories on something that’s only “good.”
4. Drink Wisely
All those fancy cocktails and spiked egg nog contain a ton of calories. A Piña Colada or Cadillac Margarita or any other colorful drink with a floating holiday decoration sounds great – but it could be over 500 calories! Know what you’re drinking and work it into your plan.
A glass of wine, a vodka soda, or tequila on the rocks would be a much better choice, calorically speaking. And if you’re in weight-loss mode, check out my “How to Booze” guide at https://www.ntlrx.com/guides.
5. Plan Seconds
It’s perfectly okay to indulge moderately. I advise it. But be very selective about what earns its way onto your second helping. If you’re going back for seconds, the food has to “earn” its way onto your plate. How? By being mind-blowingly good, of course.
Even then, it’s probably not worth it. Studies have shown that the “food orgasm” only lasts for approximately 3 minutes. Is it worth feeling poorly for only 3 minutes of joy?
6. Ignore the Guilt Servings
At every party or food celebration, there will be one or more food pushers who make it their mission to get you to eat something off-plan. Just remember, nobody can guilt you into eating anything without your permission.
It’s NOT rude to politely say no. Your health and goals are way more important than the food pusher’s desires.
7. Move it, Love it, Rest it
As the holiday season gets hectic, it’s easy to justify skipping your workouts, self-care, and even cutting down on your sleep. Skipping workouts will cause you to burn fewer calories, lack of sleep will lead to poor choices, and skimping on self-care will undoubtedly cause stress.