We all know the struggle. It’s the holiday season, and that really means one thing…FOOD. We all look forward to the yummy food that we eat at gatherings during this time of year, but we don’t look forward to the inevitably bloated stomachs and maybe even a few extra pounds gained from eating all the food you stuffed in your face on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and every day in between. Here are some tips to keep you eating healthier during the holidays!
1) Moderation is key
You probably hear this all the time in regards to dieting, but it’s especially true during the holidays. When you sit down to Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner and see the mountains of food in front of you, it’s hard not to eat all of it until you’re sick. It’s okay to splurge and eat your favorite unhealthy foods on these special occasions, but only eat a little bit of each one. Before you go back for seconds, sit and wait for your food to digest for at least 15 minutes and drink some water. That way, you can think about whether you’re really still hungry or not.
2) Splurge when it’s worth it
Obviously, there’s going to be some times during the holidays that you just have to splurge on some super unhealthy treats. But, instead of eating every processed cookie, brownie, and cupcake in sight at a holiday party that was bought premade from the grocery store, indulge on the real treats. If you know that your mom makes the best biscotti or your grandma has an amazing homemade pie recipe, wait to eat those things that are actually worth it instead of the junk that wasn’t made from scratch.
3) Prepare yourself
If it’s the day of a holiday and you know that you’ll be eating a huge meal that night, prepare yourself the morning of. Try to take some time to do some light exercise in the morning, drink water all day, and have a snack early on so that you aren’t starved when you get to dinner. By getting yourself in the right mindset, you’ll be less likely to overeat.
4) Not every day is a cheat day
Just because it’s the holidays doesn’t mean that you need to eat comfort food every single day. Try your best to exercise and eat healthy most days so that it’s okay when you have those cheat/lazy days on occasion. Don’t use the cold as an excuse to be unhealthy all the time!
5) Don’t feel guilty
Just because you eat unhealthy for one special occasion doesn’t mean that you now have an excuse to eat garbage all the time. Allow yourself to eat that way for one day guilt-free, but then don’t keep doing it afterwards. That means don’t eat the leftovers for every meal for a whole week, and don’t have that pumpkin pie for breakfast just because it’s still sitting in your fridge.