Tackling the Holiday Season
With the holidays just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about how to tackle all that comes along with the season. Social events, various snacks, treats and of course, alcohol. The holidays are supposed to be a time to celebrate what we’re thankful for and to be surrounded by those we love. Yet many people find the holidays to be stressful because of how easy it is to fall off the wagon and fail to get back on until the new year.
Today I’m offering a few quick tips to help you tackle the holidays with intention so you can stay on track with your long-term wellness goals. As many of my clients know, I truly believe all foods fit in a balanced diet, including eggnog, Christmas cookies and even stuffing! When it comes to this time of year it’s really about two things: 1) being mindful during the holidays and 2) returning to your regular routine when you get back from vacation mode.
5 Tips to Increase Mindfulness During the Holidays
The holidays for many, are a time to relax from work and take a break. It’s easy to fall into “vacation mode” and spend an entire week not exercising, overeating and snacking on more than we usually would. Although it’s not realistic to maintain your routine 100% while traveling or spending time with loved ones, there are ways that you can still prioritize your health!
Take a moment to plan out your exercise routine. This doesn’t mean going to the gym everyday, it really is about planning for when and who you want to do certain activities with. Maybe your family wants to run a Turkey Trot together or you know that your brother or mother have similar wellness goals as you and would happily go walking a few times during the holiday week. At the end of the day, being active in some way that you enjoy with people you care about is a great way to stay accountable to your physical activity goals during the holidays.
Be intentional with drinks and snacks. The holidays bring a whole host of foods that we may only have once a year. Restricting yourself from all sugar or alcohol is not necessarily the answer, nor the strategy that’s going to help you stay on track. Instead of taking an all or nothing approach, create realistic limits for yourself when it comes to snacks and alcohol. Set a drink limit for each day and keep track so you can limit how much you consume. Same goes for snacks. Grab a plate and put food on it! Instead of grabbing from the chip bag or cubes of cheese on the hour, put your food on a plate so you can see exactly what your putting into your body! This helps to limit mindless snacking and allows you to be more intentional with your choices.
Bring healthier options if you know there won’t be many available. Many people tell me that their family doesn’t eat very healthy making it very difficult to stay on track. One of the best ways to have a healthy option, is to bring it yourself! Whether that’s making a vegetable side dish, a salad or buying a veggie or fruit tray at the store, all are great ways to have more nutrient-dense options on hand!
Use the plate method to portion control at meal time! If half your plate is vegetables, there’s only so much room for other more calorically dense options! This method can help you portion control and limit overeating. Another thing that can help you be more mindful at the table is to slow down! In a society that it so fast-paced, it’s easy to be distracted while eating leading us to finish our food and not even realize what we ate. Plus, our digestive system needs about 30 minutes before it can truly tell our brain whether we are full or still hungry. Slowing down and enjoying conversation as well as the taste, texture and smell of the food on your plate can help you not only enjoy your meal more but keep you from overeating at the table!
Cut yourself some slack if you overdo it. No one is perfect and the holidays bring with it a lot of challenges, as many events are heavily food-focused. Bring into the mix family members that offer unwanted opinions about your body, food choices, or overall lifestyle and you have the perfect set up for an emotional eating storm. If you find yourself overdoing it, try to check in with a person you trust and can talk to about things during the holidays. Or even consider taking a step back to look at your own choices and feelings when eating. At the end of the day, it’s important to move past what happens during the holidays, even if you wish you’d done it differently. Consistency is key in achieving long-term goals and returning to your regular routine after the holidays will only support that. Cut yourself some slack and keep moving forward!
