4 Simple Tips for Managing Healthy Holidays.

Before becoming a coach, I struggled for YEARS as a serial yo-yo dieter. Anytime a new diet fad came out, I jumped on the bandwagon. I’d commit hardcore for a few weeks or months, get into great shape, and then quickly thereafter I would quit when faced with the slightest challenge and watch my weight climb back up. For me, those challenges came in the form of holidays and social events. In times past, one holiday party turned into a “cheat” day, which spiraled into a week. Back then, I didn’t have the resources; an accountability group, easy at-home workouts or a flexible nutrition lifestyle plan, to get back on track to my goals after all the fun.

Over the last three years, I’ve dedicated so much time to changing my mindset around events that involve food, such as holidays, vacations or parties. I’ve found that my most useful tool is the practice of the following mantra:

“It’s not about falling off the wagon, but how quickly you get back on the wagon.”

Today I’m sharing a few tips that you can take with you into December that will help you minimize the setback to your goals, and help you jump right back into your health and fitness routine after your holiday parties or events.

1. Try not to take a break from your workout routine.
When big events like holidays and parties come up, I think it’s important to maintain your regular practices and habits. What I mean by this is if you’re consistently working out every morning, try not to skip the entire weekend or week. Instead, make a plan to complete your workout in your least busy days, and take a rest day on the crazier days, like Christmas or the day you’re cooking for your family.

With that being said, the holidays also bring up times that can be stressful for some. If cooking for family, traveling far, or even just sitting at a table with your family brings you stress, consider setting aside some self-care time that morning. Your approach to the day will be much more peaceful if you’ve already pressed play on your workout, meditated, or done a bit of yoga.

2. Take a small portion of each thing you want.
If you’re still hungry, go back for more of what you enjoyed the most.

A lot of the overeating that comes with holidays is simply caused by mismanagement of portion sizes. We get so excited for the savory flavors followed by sweet and buttery sensations, that we load up our plate without thinking too much about it. By the time we sit down to nosh, we have 3 times our normal serving of carbs and buttery sides… not counting dessert and charcuterie. But if we just serve ourselves a small portion of each thing we want, it gives us the chance to taste everything, without overdoing it.

3. Set aside time to plan for next week.
When we have a fridge stocked with food and a few extra days off, it can be easy to think “I’ll have more than enough for Monday.” But suddenly when Monday rolls around, we forget to prep and end up eating sugar sweet potato casserole and a stuffing sandwich. This year, set aside a block of time on Sunday to prepare yourself for the upcoming week’s health and fitness goals. Prep healthy lunches using your leftovers, order a new PD book, and scheduling your workouts for the week. When Monday comes, you won’t feel completely thrown off from your schedule and it’ll be that much easier to jump back in!

4. Catch up on sleep!
A lot of people have holiday hours, or a day off or two around the holidays. It’s so tempting to drive around town hunting pre & post sales… but what you REALLY need, is to catch up on sleep! When we go about our day-to-day, it’s easy to plan to go to bed at 10 and get a full 8 hours, but not always so easy to actually do it. Take advantage of your more-flexible schedule and sleep in a little longer or give up your trip to TJ Max and opt for an afternoon siesta. I promise you you’ll head into Monday feeling a bit more refreshed.

5. Speaking of refreshed- DON’T FORGET TO DRINK WATER!
Whether we’re prepping to host family or friends, out shopping the pre-Christmas sales, or road-tripping to see family, we often completely forget about hydration when we’re out of our routine. Staying hydrated will help you to digest your food better, feel more energized, and minimize the post-holiday brain fog that comes with eating too much ham or turkey! Not to mention it’ll make Monday’s workout easier.

If these four things don’t work for you this year, or you completely forget about your goals and bounce to your old ways… give yourself grace. Binging holiday food for a day or two is NOT going to completely ruin your progress. Just make sure you spend Sunday preparing and regrounding to your goals for the week ahead.

If you know you’ll completely fall off the wagon for a specific weekend or event, join our team for a 3-day refresh and reset your gut and brain after the carb and sugar indulging. If you find you need a little bit more than a new program, join my accountability group and we’ll curate a plan perfect for your needs.

I hope you all have a wonderful month preparing for your favorite holiday and spending time with friends or family!