We all love the holidays! Time with friends and family, decorating our house in celebration of our traditions, and the parties…well maybe for some of us that’s not as exciting. Our health and fitness are important to us, but it seems like around the holidays things always seem to go in the wrong direction. The abundance of food that comes with celebrating the holidays is challenging to pass up. But you should never feel guilty for eating and sharing in that food. Because it SHOULD be a celebration! We just have to understand how to make everything work for us.
Follow the 80/20 rule: Allow yourself to enjoy the holiday favorites in moderation while sticking to nutrient dense (high nutritional value) meals most of the time. So, 80% of the food you have falls in line with your goals while the other 20% isn’t “bad food”, just simply food that isn’t as conducive to your goals as others, yet still delicious and worth having. And while we all seem to focus on food, do not forget the water! Staying hydrated and drinking water before meals can help with portion control and reduce or prevent overeating!
If we want to achieve something that’s important to us, we need to make time for it and set realistic goals and expectations for it. The same goes for our fitness routine. We need to set realistic goals when committing to our workouts instead of overcommitting ourselves and reducing the consistency in which we should be striving for. Aim for 20-30 minutes, at minimum, to keep you moving in the right direction and motivated for your goals! And in an effort to prioritize those things that are important to us, scheduling out your workouts, much like appointments, will help to ensure they fit into the holiday shuffle and busy calendar that we all seem to have. One of the best and simplest tips I have found was when going shopping for anything, park farther away. You’ll forcibly get your steps in and become more active during these busy times.
The holidays are about friends, family, and fun. We should look forward to them and not resent a single second of them. Remember to always keep things in perspective. Focus on balance, not perfection. Staying fit isn’t about restriction but maintaining balance and enjoying the season!
