By Janet Luhrs, www.simpleliving.com
We’re there! It’s holiday time, party time and – er – over- eating time. So how do you have fun and relish the season, but not over-indulge? Try these simple strategies to help you enjoy the holidays and not feel deprived, yet stay on track with your commitment to a healthy lifestyle.
- Promise yourself to eat healthy most of the time: You can make the choices for fresh, wholesome food most of the time, and save the indulgences for parties or special holiday events.
- It’s about portion control: Don’t sweat over “banned” foods, instead keep your portions smaller and balanced with the healthier choices for most of the meal and smaller portions for the special foods.
- Watch out for empty liquid calories. Calories consumed by drinking leave us less satisfied. But the big one is something you already know – alcohol throws our inhibitions out the window and we’re more likely to over-indulge. Fill up on water or seltzer before your meal or party and you’ll have a greater likelihood of success.
- Stock the fridge for a win: Keep plenty of pre-cut fruits and veggies in the fridge – and be sure to make them easy to grab.
- Planned Indulgences: If you are going to allow yourself a few indulgences (and why not!), then promise yourself not to waste those calories on junk that is tasty, yet not really important to you. Plan your day or weekend to allow for those treats that are truly special and worth the “cheat.”
- Don’t cut back on your workouts: When you splurge a bit on the foods and treats, yet stay consistent with your workouts, you are more likely to get back on the nutrition plan after the holidays and less likely to throw in the towel completely
It also really helps to understand what causes you to over- indulge, such as the big one – emotional eating. Here’s a huge tip. Take the time now to understand those triggers, especially around holidays, and you’ll be way ahead of yourself. Tell me about your success “cheats” during the holidays and strategies that work for you.
Featured photo source: Pixabay.com
