5 Tips to Stay Healthy and Happy Over the Holidays

It's holiday season: the best time of the yeaaaaar!

I'm thankful to be a partial-Canadian now because I get TWO Thanksgivings every year - one in October, and one tomorrow. #blessed

Let me be real for a second: As a recovering perfectionist and all-or-nothing dieter, holidays like Thanksgiving used to stress me out.

What will I eat? What if I overdo it? What if I gain 95392 pounds in one day?

Now, I don't stress so much about it - after all, it's ONE day of the year. 

But I wanted to give you some tips in case you are stressing, or you're just trying to feel as great as possible and find balance during the holiday season!

5 Tips to Stay on Track with Your Fitness Goals Over the Holidays 

1. GET MOVIN'

Chances are, you’ll be eating a lot more food than usual, it’s time to put that food to good use!

Instead of thinking you need to exercise to 'make up for' what you ate, change your mindset: 

"I am so full of amazing, delicious food right now. My strength will be through the roof! Time to make the most of it and do some heavier squats, deadlifts, etc. and really challenge myself in my workouts." 

Even if you’re traveling, you can still do at-home workouts or go for a walk/run with your family
members.

Also, PLEASE ditch the all-or-nothing mindset when it comes to working out, especially over the holidays. Maybe you can't do an hour long workout, but I'm sure you can fit in 10-20 minutes.

Here's an sample workout:

Directions: Set a timer for 10-20 minutes. Do 12 reps of each, as many rounds as possible, resting as needed. No equipment necessary!

• Squats 
• High knees
• Alternating Reverse Lunges
• Push ups
• Burpees

2. HYDRATE

A lot of times, we mistake thirst for hunger – meaning we think we are hungry but we are actually just thirsty. When you wake up, drink at least two full glasses of water. Before your big meal, chug some water. During your meal, drink water. After your meal, drink more water.

See a theme here?

Before you go back for thirds, try drinking a glass of water and waiting a few minutes – that should help you feel fuller!
 

3. BE DISCERNING (scope out your faves)

I don’t know about you, but I get pretty disappointed when I plan to splurge and don’t end up enjoying what I’m eating.

Before indulging on Thanksgiving – think about what you will really ENJOY eating, and don’t just eat for the sake of eating. (Sorry, stale Publix cookies – Hello, Grandma’s homemade pie you can only eat once per year!)

Be discerning. Save your appetite for the “good” stuff, not the stuff that you can have any other day of the week.

4. FILL YOUR PLATE WITH PROTEIN & GREENS FIRST

By no means am I saying that holidays are about restriction, and they shouldn’t be!

But in order to not feel overly stuffed, you can save a lot of space in your stomach by filling up
on protein (turkey, ham, etc.) and whatever greens are available.

Then, enjoy a bit of what you REALLY want, as mentioned in Tip #3.

Side note: if you’re not sure there will be any healthy options available at your Thanksgiving feast, bring your own dish. I'm sure your host will appreciate you!

5. GO FOR A WALK

This goes along with #1, but get up and get movin’ AFTER your Turkey Day meal.

The worst thing to do is just sit around when you’re stuffed – so get your family and friends together and see if anyone wants to go for a walk around the block. Or, encourage them to play a game of football together, rather than just sitting around and watching TV all afternoon.
 

THE MOST IMPORTANT [BONUS] TIP: ENJOY YOURSELF!

At the end of the day, please enjoy yourself and don’t worry too much about being perfect. Just as it didn’t take ONE day for you to lose 5-10 pounds, it won’t take one day to gain 5-10 pounds.

Use these tips to stay in control and be mindful as you’re eating, and focus your energy on good conversation with family and friends.

BE MINDFUL. BE PRESENT. ENJOY YOUR COMPANY. EAT GOOD FOOD.

xo

Julie

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