The holidays are a time of joy, events, and special treats. But with the festive meals, sweets, and busy schedules, maintaining your weight and exercise routine can feel challenging. It doesn’t help that there is a lot of bad advice, such as fasting, exercising more to compensate for those extra calories, skipping social events, eating low-calorie substitutes, and avoiding treats altogether.
The good news is you don’t have to do anything like that. In fact, you can do it using a balanced approach without drastically changing your diet or routine. As a result, you can enjoy the holidays and indulge a bit without stressing over derailing your fitness goals. Let’s look at some strategies to help you have your cake and eat it, too.
You Can Indulge During The Holidays
Meals and treats are everywhere and part of the holiday fun. Even those with ironclad willpower will succumb to the temptation, and that’s okay. Depriving yourself will only backfire in the form of cravings, which will build up until you give in and overindulge to satisfy them. Yet, you can avoid this pitfall by letting yourself enjoy them in moderation.
You already have access to many treats throughout the year, such as cookies, fudges, cakes, and candy. Furthermore, festive drinks like eggnog, cocktails, and sugary beverages have excess calories that add up quickly. However, the holidays usually have more homemade favorites or specialty items that you don’t often have the opportunity to enjoy. So, prioritizing indulging in your favorite treats can help reduce your risks of overindulging in every snack in sight.
A helpful tip is to use the three-bite rule. Savor the first bite, enjoy the second, and finish the third bite feeling satisfied. When there is a large variety of treats, focus on choosing your absolute favorites to avoid feeling overwhelmed. As a result, you’ll enjoy your favorite flavors and feel satisfied without overloading on calories.
Don’t Skip Meals
Disrupting your typical eating schedule to save room for a big feast or treats later on will often backfire, leading to overeating. When you skip meals, your blood sugar levels drop, which increases hunger hormones, and your body starts signaling to your brain it’s time to eat. The longer you wait, the more the cravings will intensify, leading to eating food more quickly and mindlessly when you finally eat. So, if you’re saving room for that big holiday meal or social event, you may quickly consume extra calories.
Following your regular eating schedule keeps your blood sugar and hormone levels in check. Meals that include lean proteins, vegetables, and whole grains can leave you feeling more satisfied and full. Drinking water throughout the day can help curb hunger. However, hunger can strike at any time. Instead of powering through it until the cravings become overwhelming, keep healthy snacks like nuts, yogurt, or fruit on hand to avoid reaching for less nutritious and less filling options when hunger strikes. So, when it is time to indulge in your favorite holiday treats, you won’t be famished, which lets you make smarter choices so that you can enjoy treats in moderation.
Stay Active During The Holidays
Skipping meals certainly isn’t how to save calories now to indulge later. The same applies to your fitness routine. Doing extra exercise to burn more calories so you can consume more later is a recipe for disaster. Increasing the intensity or time you exercise when you’re not used to that workload can increase your risk of injury and decrease the joy of exercising. As a result, you may stop exercising altogether.
But what if you don’t have time to do your usual workouts? It’s better to do some exercise on your regular workout days than none at all. If you have rest days as part of your fitness routine, you can use these days to take care of some holiday obligations. Another option is to plan your weekly exercise schedule to fit workouts between the holiday busyness. Staying flexible on your schedule and planning will keep you on track.
Even if you don’t have time for your workout, some exercise is better than none. For example, instead of a usual 5-mile run or brisk walk, you go for 15 to 20 minutes. It’s not a failure on your part that you don’t do your typical workout. There are other ways to incorporate movement into your day. For example, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking farther away to get in a brisk walk, or doing a quick workout while watching your favorite shows. It all adds up. Instead, focus on consistency. It’s more important than intensity, especially during the holidays.
The Winning Strategy
While these strategies can help you maintain your fitness goals during the holiday, they work best when combined. Staying active helps you burn extra calories and keeps your energy levels high and your stress in check. That’s especially important when there is usually more to do during the holidays. Similarly, mindful eating allows you to enjoy those holiday meals and treats while supporting your fitness goals. Together, they ensure a healthier, happier holiday season for you.
While it is a busy time of year, you may need to plan more and have tools to help you keep track of your progress. For example, a fitness app can track your workouts. Using one that can automatically track your workouts by connecting to your fitness tracker will make reviewing your daily and weekly progress easier. When time is short, having resistance bands, jump rope, or online workout videos such as aerobics or yoga can help you exercise when you can’t go to the gym or outside.
When you’re mindful of what you eat and drink, you’re more likely to make smarter decisions without changing your diet. Apps can also help you track your food intake to monitor your calories without feeling restricted. The holidays are a time to enjoy yourself and indulge in moderation.
The Takeaway
The holidays don’t have to derail your health and fitness goals. You can confidently navigate the holiday season by incorporating mindful eating, staying active, and being consistent. It’s not about perfection but about making intentional choices that align with your well-being and goals. So, celebrate the holidays, enjoy your favorite treats and traditions in moderation, and keep moving forward with one healthy choice at a time.
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Disclaimer: No content on this site should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
