The holidays are coming up quickly. I feel like my food choices get wacky starting with Halloween going right through New Year’s. It’s so difficult to stay consistent. You may be a little worried about this time of year with all the holiday parties and dinners you have to attend. How do you attend these and be social without ruining your hard work? Let’s talk about some things you can do to not only maintain your weight during the holidays, but maybe even lose weight. You can find more holiday weight loss tips here.
Be mindful of what you’re eating. Sometimes people are just watching football and eating out of a bag of chips. Before you know it it’s halftime and the bag of chips is gone and the salsa bowl is empty. Well, that my friend is a big problem for staying on track for your weight loss. Now of course each day is a new start. You can do this! Stick to your plan and track your food so you know what you can and cannot have for the whole day.
When special holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming up it is time to think ahead and make some plans. Are you going to eat clean or just take that day off and not worry about calories that day? If you generally follow the 80/20 rule, then a couple times a year is not going to mess you up. Eating your aunt’s pumpkin pie and Mac-n-cheese is not going to break you. Enjoy your friends and family. That’s what the holidays are really about. Several of my friends this year are actually celebrating on different days b/c their children aren’t available on Thanksgiving. I think that is so amazing that their parents get it. It’s about the people you’re with, not the day!
Try to save up your calories during the week and use them wisely. If you know you’re eating what you want on Thanksgiving I wouldn’t waste my calories on a cold pizza sitting on the counter over night. You need to be consistent in your habits and behaviors and keep going. No giving up when things get hard. Starting from scratch is not an option. Getting recharged and redirected is just fine. We all need a little guidance. No one is perfect 100% of the time. That would be a really boring food experience.
Food is sometimes used for emotional purposes. People eat out of boredom, fear, loneliness, stress and the list could got on. This is something that will hold you back if you don’t take care of this now. Food should be used to fuel our bodies and give us the energy to get through the day and serve our purpose. Not to soothe the stress we are dealing with.
If you cook at your house make sure you have a plan for the leftovers. That is the worst to cook and then have all those fattening foods in your home. You know you will not have the will power to decline every food that is left over. These days after the holiday are the killers. The lingering food just keeps adding on the extra pounds with no end in sight.
I have a rule of thumb that I choose either the appetizer or the dessert. I never choose both. I kind of scout out what the meal is like and decide which one I’m going to do. Then you have a plan of action and you know what to expect from yourself. Stick to it and make yourself proud! You can also bring a healthier version of your favorite side dish. I’m sure the hostess wouldn’t mind. However, come with it already prepared (heated/chilled) and make enough for everyone. Also bring whatever serving utensils it needs.
Lastly, get more exercise. You can always add 30 minutes walking to your day. Or add 10 minutes onto your normal workout. You just want to shock your body into thinking you are doing something new. Hit it hard all at once so your diet and exercise come together.
