Shutterstock
My healthy diet and exercise routine tends to go out the window when the holidays roll around.
Between the cold weather, the yummy food, and the cocktails, I find myself spending upwards of half my day on the couch stuffing cookies into my mouth. It sounds terrible, but it’s the truth.
And while I wish I was the exception to the rule, the reality is so many of us leave our health habits at the door when we start to celebrate the holiday season and look to pick them back up when January 1 rolls around.
Instead of forgoing all healthy habits this year, I’m going to try and find a way to stay on track. Now, this isn’t to say I’m not going to enjoy great meals, sip on cocktails, and lounge by the fire. I’ll most certainly be doing those things. But, I can also make sure I’m taking care of my body at the same time.
If you’re like me and want to stay on track this holiday season, here are some easy tips to do so:
Instead of worrying about how many miles you’re going to run or how many exercise classes you’ll attend, just focus on moving over the holidays. Whether you decide to go on walks, do an at-home yoga class, or have a dance party, moving your body is all that truly matters.
Let’s face it, it’s hard to maintain a diet during the holidays. Rather than only allowing yourself to eat vegetables and depriving yourself of desserts, try to find a balance. If you don’t find a balance between eating what you want and staying healthy, you’ll probably end up bingeing on junk later. Allow yourself to have what you want, but try to not let one cookie become 10 cookies.
When all else fails, just remind yourself to drink water, eat fruits and vegetables, and to get enough sleep. Don’t stress out about the fact that you’re not able to count how many calories are in every meal or that you only ate cake for dinner (hey, it happens). Just focus on one day at a time and don’t worry about what happened the day before.
We often get lazy during the holidays and only eat what we can see, which is why it’s so important to prep meals ahead of time. Why would I cook a healthy dinner when I have leftover pizza in the fridge? To avoid these situations, try to prep some healthy meals ahead of time and keep them in your fridge. That way, if you’re ever hungry or are in need of something quick, you can go for the healthy option.
