Today I’m sharing some tips for how to stay on track during the holidays when routines go out the window and there are treats everywhere.
The holidays can be an overwhelming time for a lot of people – especially when it comes to eating and exercise. I wanted to share a few tips that I use to stay on track and not let the holiday indulgences take over.
Practice the 80/20 rule.
You don’t have to try to have your workouts and diet be perfect – it’s impossible. If your workouts are done 80% of the time, that’s good enough. Allow yourself to splurge at a Christmas party if you’ve stayed on track earlier in the day. Being able to live life for that 20% of the time makes all the difference.
Don’t go to the Christmas party or Christmas dinner hungry.
Eat as you normally would throughout the day. I find that if I’m really hungry when I’m faced with treats, I’ll overeat and I end up feeling bad – both physically and mentally. It’s so not worth it. I try to make sure I get in my fruits and veggies during the day so that I feel better when I go back for seconds of dessert.
Be strategic.
Make smart, strategic choices when it comes to indulging. When faced with a plate of cookies, eat your favorites, but skip the ones that you don’t enjoy as much. Alternate alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic ones. Pace yourself – you don’t have to eat until you feel stuffed.
Give yourself grace.
Christmas and New Year’s only come around once a year. You most likely live a healthy lifestyle the rest of the time. There’s no need to drive yourself crazy trying to get in every single workout and avoided every treat that you come across. A couple weeks of making smart choices when it comes to enjoying the holidays isn’t going to undo all of your hard work the rest of the year.
Let go of expectations.
There can be a lot of high expectations during the holidays – from finding the perfect gifts for everyone on your list to having a spotless house for company to serving the perfect Christmas dinner. You don’t need to aim for perfections. It’s not worth the added stress, not to mention that it’s impossible. There’s no way that you can please everyone.
Make time for yourself.
As much as we’d all like to do everything, it’s just not doable. To help combat the stress of the holidays, be sure to take some time for yourself and do some self-care. It might be tough to fit it in, but i’ll be so worth it. Whether it’s some alone time to read or take a bath, self-care is so important, especially with the added stress of the holiday season.
Have a plan.
As much as it’s possible when it comes to Christmas parties, big dinners, and treats, have a plan. If you know you’re going to a party that night, be sure to get in your veggies and lean protein earlier in the day. Looking ahead and having healthy food available also makes a big difference. It makes choosing healthier food when it’s available an easier choice. Meal planning can be tricky with the lack of a routine around the holidays, but having a few healthy meal options available is helpful.
Make workouts easy.
It may not be possible to get to the gym as often as you’d like, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t break a sweat other ways. Save some time commuting to and from the gym by working out at home or doing a yoga practice on your own. There are lots of workouts on YouTube (you can find my favorites here) as well as yoga (my favorite wrist free ones are here). Spend time with family and friends being active – go to your local rec center and take advantage of the wave pool or basketball court. Embrace the winter weather and go skiing or sledding if you live somewhere that has cold winters.
What’s one way that you stay on track over the holidays with your workouts and eating?