Top 10 Tips for a Healthier Holiday Season

We ALL struggle with the holidays and maintaining health. There are endless parties, get togethers, dinners out, cookies being baked and alcoholic beverages being consumed. This is usually the time where I will have a free for all, and I can consume twice as much food as my husband can in one sitting. We are drinking because we are merry, and in a good mood (or in some cases because we are trying to take the edge off) and while that is fine for one day, it starts to add up throughout the holiday season as you attend more and more functions. Those small choices start to add up and before you know it, 3 weeks have passed and you've consumed an additional 10,000 calories in alcohol ALONE. 

But but but.... the beer! The wine! The holiday cocktails! The stuffing! The sweet potatoes! the gravy!! The amazing christmas cookies with the Hersheys kiss in the middle!!!! 

I am not saying you cannot have that. I am saying be aware of PORTION control and pick and choose your splurge days.

Here are some tips:

1. RESEARCH your the calories in certain foods before you to an event with a big meal. This is not to spoil your meal or make you feel guilty. It is to provide awareness so that when you serve yourself a portion, you do not accidentally eat 1000 calories in sweet potatoes alone. The average Thanksgiving meal is 4500 cals WITHOUT alcohol. Be aware. Take 2 tablespoons of cranberry sauce and half the amount of gravy. You can have those sweet potatoes but take 1/4 cup instead of a mound.

2. Choose your splurge days: If you eat everything in site at every single party you go to, you are destined to fall off track. Choose 3 times that you are going to have "Cheat days" and indulge that Christmas cookie or two, a chocolate martini or some sweet potato casserole. It is the holidays after all. 

3. Bring your own dish to the party: If you make your own dish, YOU know what is in it and you know you can eat it without guilt! Bring enough for everyone of course, you don't need to draw attention to yourself by only bringing a small portion for you. Make something yummy, healthy and guilt free and fill up on that! 

4. Drink lots of water in between alcoholic drinks and throughout the day. Keep your body hydrated. Water will also help to fill you up so that you eat less. It will help you to be less drunk and then less likely to make bad eating choices throughout the event. There are like 25 different reasons I can write here. Water is awesome, so just drink it. A lot.

5. Eat normal meals throughout the day. Stay on track as much as possible. The last thing you want to do is go to a holiday event famished and then stuff your face like a deprived person on a diet. Eat your breakfast, lunch and snack and then you will eat less at your event.

6. Stick to your routine: Do you workouts. Every day. If you get up early and workout then continue to do so! Many people will tell me, "oh I have been eating like crap so I stopped working out and I will start again at New Years." NO! The time is now. Keep to your routine and keep going. It is healthy to workout and your body needs it now more than ever!

7. Eat HALF. Eat half eat half eat half of what you would normally eat. It is about portion control and not deprivation.

8. You do not have to drink at every single function. And if you do, LIMIT your drinks to 1 or 2. If you feel you need to have some liquor to take the edge off of seeing that one relative that makes you crazy, then stick to clear liquor and club soda. The fancy drinks are so high in calorie and have no nutritional value. Steer clear of those.

9. Have a plan Set up your health and fitness plan NOW. Don't just go to the gym and flail around and expect that will be effective. Do some RESEARCH and commit to a program or regime. When you have a plan that starts BEFORE the holiday season you will be more aware and make better choices overall. Maybe get an accountability partner to stay on track with and motivate each other.

10. Eat a lot of veggies. Chalene Johnson recommends eating a cup of raw veggies to help fill her up and get nutrients before a party. Also make sure you add these to your Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners as well as to your daily meals.

If you mess up and have a bad day, just get right back on track the next day. No one is perfect, but you can make better choices. You want to enjoy yourself. Focus on conversation and time with family and friends rather than food. The goal here is to still FEEL amazing by the end of the holiday season instead of feeling guilty, bloated and down because of all the nasty food you've consumed. Keep your eye on the prize and let that drive you!