The Holiday Season is Not an Excuse to Treat Your Body Poorly!

I can’t believe it’s already the holiday season again! I personally always look forward to this time of year because it’s a nice relaxing break from school and I get to spend a lot of time with the people I love. Along with the holiday season comes endless delicious food and usually changes in routine, but that’s no reason to stop striving toward becoming the healthiest version of you possible. The holidays should be enjoyed there’s no doubt about it, but it should not be an excuse to completely let go of yourself until the start of the new year. A lot of people from Thanksgiving on just say “oh well, it’s the holidays I’ll give myself a break” or “oh well, I’ll start in the new year.” And before they know it, they find themselves in a rut from November to January. I am challenging you to not fall into that trap! Here’s the advice I have for avoiding it…

- Start your day off right by consistently eating a clean first meal. When we eat cookies, stuffing, and leftover pumpkin pie for breakfast, it’s much easier to say screw it to the whole day of meals. I try to keep my breakfast and lunch clean no matter what, but then around the holidays I’ll give myself a little freedom at dinner (helllllo yummy desserts!). This allows you to still enjoy your favorite seasonal goodies in moderation without throwing the whole day away.

- Eat your meals slowly & mindfully. Possible practices to help you do this include putting your fork down between bites, trying to be the slowest eater at the table, or avoiding all screens during meals. Although we should be striving to do this every time we eat, it’s especially important when we’re eating things that aren’t part of our usual diet. Give your body time to catch up to what you’re feeding it so you don’t overdo it!

- Stay on your exercise routine. Just because we are surrounded by all the delicious foods, there’s no reason we can’t be getting some form of activity most days. My hack for making this happen is hitting my workout first thing in the morning. The more you put off your exercise, the less motivated and energetic you are, and there’s a chance something will come up later in the day that will prevent you from actually getting it done.

- Get an accountability buddy! Have someone hold you accountable for continuing your healthy habits throughout the holiday season.

I’m not saying restrict yourself throughout these next few weeks and never indulge. I definitely allow myself to eat things I don’t usually eat during this time. But, avoid using the holiday season as an excuse to eat seasonal goodies all day every day until January 1st. Do the best you could and then after the holidays it will be much easier to transition right back into your usual routine. Believe me, I know it’s harder to stay on track during the holidays! But, if you completely let go of yourself for the next few weeks it will be so much harder to get back on track come January. Enjoy this time, have fun, eat your favorite things in moderation, but do not lose sight of your health in the process!

Happy holidays people :)