10 Healthy Holiday Tips
Authored by Kyle Golden (November 3, 2022)
The holiday season is coming and with that will come a lot of parties, dinners, and other festive gatherings. Undoubtedly we will all be tempted to indulge a little - or a lot - at most of these fun gatherings. This can wreak havoc on our attempts to maintain a healthy lifestyle and waistline. It can also be difficult to stick to a plant-forward diet during the holidays. Here are 10 tips to help keep you a little more mindful of your lifestyle journey and still have fun with friends and family.
Eat a small, healthy meal before you go to a party. This way you are not tempted to make your entire dinner out of party food. Limit yourself to one or two small selections at the party
Make holiday dinners sensible. Steam side dishes instead of sautéing them in butter. Choose one guilty pleasure dish that everyone likes and make that your only “unhealthy” choice.
Review restaurant menus before you go to dinner. Decide on your selection before arriving so you don’t have to stress over your meal. If you are deciding on a restaurant choose one that has a variety of options for everyone to enjoy themselves and feel comfortable with their decisions.
If you drink alcohol make every other drink water and start with water. Limit yourself to no more than a couple of alcoholic beverages. The calories in holiday cocktails can quickly add up.
Maintain your healthy diet choices when not at a party, dinner gathering, or event. It is tempting to throw your healthy eating habits out the window all together during holidays. It is important that you try your best to stick to your regular, healthy diet.
If you have a partner, discuss your strategies together so that you are both on the same page to help maintain your mutual lifestyle. Be supportive and positive about each other’s commitment to your health goals, not judgmental.
Schedule your workouts and hold yourself accountable to your commitment. If you are indulging more keeping up with your usual exercise routine can help to keep your body active and burning those extra calories.
Keep up with your mindset habits as well. It’s easy to let all aspects of your lifestyle slip during busy times in life, especially the holidays. It will be much easier to return to your usual healthy routine if you maintain as much as you reasonably can.
Understand that there may be times where you overindulge or neglect your goals. Remember, you are only human. Seeking perfection and holding yourself to an unrealistic standard is counter productive and isn’t healthy. Forgive yourself, learn, and get back to working toward your goals.
Make sure to enjoy yourself too! Life is short, so have fun along the way.
Hi, I’m Kyle Golden,
Founder and Coach at Vireo Fitness. For over 16 years I have helped hundreds of clients just like you find their path to better health. Get in touch today and find out how I can help you embrace a better lifestyle and realize your full potential!