End the Holiday Sabotage!

The Holiday Sabotage

The countdown to Thanksgiving and the “official start” of the holiday season is here!

And with the joyful holiday season comes more distractions and temptations to your daily habits and routine.

Now is when you start to slip, say “To hell with it!” and deck the halls hella hard from now ’til January 1.

By the time January rolls around, you feel AWFUL!

All those festive parties, decadent charcuterie boards, peppermint mochas, and adult bevs got you feeling tired, bloated and sluggish.

You wake up on January 1 with a major holiday hangover, and it’s not the New Year’s Eve bubbly to blame!

It’s the entire holiday season -weeks spent neglecting regular exercise, sleep, and healthier foods – finally catching up and taking its toll:

….Hours spent shopping + wrapping the perfect Christmas gifts.

….Hitting up the nearby drive-through for a quick bite on the go.

….Office parties + tequila to muster up the confidence for Mariah Carey karaoke.

….Jelly-filled donuts and latkes shared during Hanukah.

…Trays of holiday cookies infiltrating the home and office.

The holiday mindset of “letting it all go” just because it’s ’tis the season will absolutely undo your progress, slow your results or, even stop them altogether.

I don’t want you to digress back to where you started.

The best approach for navigating the holiday season and kicking the New Year off feeling great without missing out is BALANCE!

The holidays do NOT have to be all or nothing – you can still exercise, eat pretty healthy and prioritize sleep around a busy schedule:

Maybe that means exercising 2-3 times per week instead of 3-5.

Maybe making sure you’re eating protein + veggies at every meal, no matter if at home or at a party.

Maybe you make weekday sleep a non-negotiable since weekends will be harder.

Maybe you pick the parties you want to indgule and those you will scale back. 

Remember, the actual holidays are only a few days out of many!

This means holiday meals, drinks and weekends make up a very small portion of the non-holiday meals, drinks and weekends you CAN CONTROL.

And, there are 7 weeks left in 2024 that account for the majority of non-holiday days and weekends.

This gives YOU tons of regular everyday time to squeeze in your workouts and eat healthy meals!!

Don’t regret the next 7 weeks, and don’t rely on the New Year to undo the damage and “start over”.

Instead, have your holiday fruit cake and eat it, too!

Curious how you can navigate the holidays without sacrificing your health, gaining weight and feeling run down?

With Thanksgiving just 16 days away, I am sharing 6 strategies to help you maintain healthy habits without missing out on your fave holiday foods and dranks PLUS 7 tips to push through the ‘holiday hangover’ when you do indulge!

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The holiday season lasts approximately 6 weeks and during that time, you will eat about 126 meals.

Here’s the kicker: only 6 of those are actually holiday meals.

That gives you 120 meals (opportunities) to be in more control and focus on fueling your body with real food!

Those other 120 meals?

Those do NOT need to be all out, balls to the wall feasts.

There are lots and lots of meals you can prepare and eat consisting of healthier choices and all your macronutrients: protein, heart healthy fats and smart carbohydrates (this includes veggies).

Now, realistically, there are going to be parties and luncheons mixed in to celebrate the season, but you see where I’m going with this.

There is so much in your control during the holiday season.

Here are 6 strategies to maintain healthy habits while still enjoying your favorites holiday festivites!

#1. Eat 3 Balanced Meals/Day

For those 100+ meals you can control, eat 3 balanced meals/day. A balanced meal includes lean protein, smart carbs, heart-healthy fats, and veggies. For the meals you have little to no control over:

•  Plan out splurges: When dining out, eat all other meals that day at home. Example: if dinner’s out,  eat breakfast and lunch at home.

• Do not skip meals: Skipping meals and ‘saving’ your calories for a splurge leads to overeating since you will be more hungry.

• Prioritize veggies + protein: At every meal, eat veggies and protein first keeps you satiated and reduces the urge to binge.

• Eat mindfully: Pick foods unique to holiday traditions and take the time to really enjoy! Sset your utensils down between bites to recognize fullness cues.

#2. Drink Water

Staying properly hydrated keeps you feeling your best, digestion flowing and offsets some of the effects you feel when typical habits are interrupted.

• Ddrink at least 60 ounces of water daily.
• Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning after waking.

#3. Limit Alcohol

Alcohol is a big part of holiday traditions so will preface by saying, drinking in moderation will be beneficial IF you want to want to avoid holiday weight/fat gain and stay healthy.

Here’s how alcohol slows down and / or stops progress and results:

• Empty Calories: Provides little to no nutritional value and calorie wise, quickly adds up! All’s it takes is 2-3 drinks to hit 300+ extra calories!

• Impairs Judgement: Impairs decision-making with food choices and increases cravings for highly processed foods, especially when hungover.

• Slows down progress: Slows down your bodies ability to burn fat because it’s busy burning off the alcohol. It also inhibits muscle growth and recovery.

• Disrupts Sleep: Makes you fall asleep faster but disrupts your deep sleep and REM cycles – the most important part of sleep.

So, what can you do to enjoy a few drinks without sabotaging your health and goals?

• Prime your body with nutrients! Before drinking, focus on eating lean proteins and plenty of fresh veggies.

• Limit your intake: Choose the number of drinks you will have and stick to that number!

• Hydrate! Be sure to stay hydrated and have a glass of water between each drink.

• Drink the basics: Avoid drinks containing sugary mixers or heavy syrups – these contain TONS of added sugars and dehydrate you faster!

• Mocktails: Abstain from alcohol adnd opt for a mocktail.

 #4. Exercise & Move Daily!

Daily exercise and movement are invaluable for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

• Exercise: Goal =3 workouts / wk
• Move daily: Goal = 8-10K steps/day, especially if you spend most of the day sitting at a desk.
• Plan + schedule  workouts and walks in advance on your calendar.

#5. Get QUALITY Sleep!

Sleep is very underrated yet SUPER important to your health.  Lack of sleep increases appetite/cravings for highly processed foods, hormonal disruptions and leads to poorer lifestyle choices.

• Goal = 7-9 hours of quality, uninterrupted sleep /night so your body can rest, repair and recharge.
• Stay consistent with bed time and waking time to keep your body on a regular schedule

#6. Manage Stress

Stress can have a negative effect on how you feel and the decisions you make throughout the day. While this is a very stressful time of year, schedule some time with yourself to check in mentally, meditate or, simply just breathe.

The “go go go” mentality of the holiday hustle leaves us little to no time to do this.

• Schedule self-care windows into your day.
• Goal:  20 minutes of self care time/day  to do something you enjoy.
• Scale back as neded: If 30 minutes isn’t manageable on busier days, aim for 5-10!

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7 Tips When You Holiday SO Hard! 

Did you have a day that did not go as planned and the holiday festivities hit HARD? 

Remember, the best appraoch to navigating the holiday season is BALANCE so if you plan to indulge in holiday festivities, here are 7 tips to get back on track, back in control and feeling better:

1. Check your mindset! DO NOT beat yourself up or feel guilty about overindulging. Today is a new day!

2. Hydrate! Water will help keep your digestive system moving – this is a good thing!

3. Take a walk! GENTLE movement promotes digestion, too and being in nature makes you feel good 🙂

4. Get twisting! Gentle twists ease bloating and discomfort. Think yoga poses such as downward dog, ragdoll, seated twists, and knees to chest.

5. Sip on tea! Ginger, peppermint and licorice tea ease discomfort and aid in digestion.

6. Focus on well-balanced meals! Aim for those 3 well balanced meals: lean protein, smaart carbs, heart-healthy fats and veggies.

7. Skip difficult-to-digest foods! Avoid spicy or fried foods and focus on lean proteins and leafy greens.

The holidays are a time for family, friends and coming together.

These times should absolutely be enjoyed so remember, be kind to yourself, be patient with yourself and most importantly, take the time to love yourself!

Control what you can and schedule the healthy habits to prevent the onset of the holiday spiral and holiday hangover!