Oh the holidays! Full of family, friends and lots and lots of food. With Christmas sugar cookies, hot cocoa and everything in between, the holidays are definitely a time to indulge – but not too much. Here’s a few tips to keep on your health on track and to come back after break not feeling stuffed like the turkey on Thanksgiving.
#1: Keep moving!
One of the best ways to keep the calories off is to keep moving! It’s obvious that moving your body helps to burn what you just ate, but it’s also scientifically proven to give you those feel good endorphins that you would normally get by eating yummy foods. So maybe the next time you are craving an entire cake (I’ve been there) get your move on! That can be running, swimming, or even just dancing – a perfect excuse to get down to some Mariah Carey
#2: Fill up on veggies and salad
Vegetables are pretty much the best thing for you because they are super nutrient dense and they contain very minimal calories. Although calories are not the most important thing to focus on, it’s a really great way to fill yourself up without overdoing it on the cals. So, when appetizers and salad comes out first at dinner, load up that, then you won’t have any room for any of the high calorie foods that will leave you feeling like bleh.
#3: Don’t completely restrict
Although you may feel like the only way to prevent yourself from eating too much unhealthy food is by not eating any at all, it may not be the best option. This will only leave you wanting to binge on everything in site later on. Instead, follow the 80/20 rule. Eat all the healthy and nutritionally dense foods 80 percent of the time and then you can enjoy those not-so-healthy foods 20 percent of the time without feeling bad about it! (aka don’t pull a Michelle Tanner)
#4: Bring food that you can eat
The holidays are time for potlucks and Christmas parties galore, which means A LOT of food. Often times there won’t be a ton of healthy options, so when you are asked to bring something, bring a dish that fits your health goals! Then we you get to the party you know there will be something that’s yummy and nutritious. :)
#5: Drink your water!
More times than not, when you think you are hungry, you make actually just be thirsty. When this happens to me, I’ll just drink a ton of water which will satisfy the “hunger” that I was experiencing earlier. But make sure that you are still eating foods when you know you actually need food – don’t make water a replacement, a gal needs to eat! Just listen to your body and you will know what it needs!
At the end of the day, the holidays are a time to enjoy life. So don’t stress about your food intake too too much. Just be aware of what your eating. Sometimes the most important thing to do is feed the soul, so if that means having a slice of peppermint bark or two… or three, go for it. Happy holidays and make sure to spend time with the ones you love <3