How To Celebrate The Holidays Without Losing Sight Of Your Goals
The holidays are creeping closer, and you are hanging decor, making shopping lists, and meal planning. Most of all, you are determined to successfully redo the holiday that left you feeling completely depleted last year.
While some people love to bake over the holidays, all those tasty treats get to be a bit much when they are always around. You try to keep up with your health goals, but this season is overwhelming, and one cheat day becomes two. Before you know it, you’ve completely lost track of your routine, your pants feel tighter, and the sugar crashes leave you with no energy to finish your to-do list.
Does this make you wonder, “How can I celebrate the holidays without losing sight of my health goals?”
I love this season, but throwing away those months of hard work improving my health makes me feel so depressed. This is why planning ahead this time of year can make a huge difference on how I look and feel.
Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip Bread
Keep Your Health Goals On Track This Holiday Season
You can stay on track of your health goals over the holidays without missing out on any of the fun or delicious desserts, for that matter.
Are you wondering, “What are my health goals?” If so, contact me today to put a healthy lifestyle strategy in place that will have you looking and feeling great over the holidays and beyond!
Start Your Holiday Season Off With The Right Mindset
It’s important to realize that your mindset is the catalyst to keeping your health at the forefront over the holidays. Because each holiday comes once a year, many of us feel like each scrumptious bite and sip is now or never.
So instead of going back for seconds or refusing to waste a drop of champagne, go in with a plan. If you listen to your body, you can still enjoy everything each holiday has to offer. But you won’t wake up bloated the next day or feel regret. Instead, you can reminisce on the good times that were had and still feel amazing.
So this holiday season, give yourself permission to enjoy the sweet things. But remember to choose the healthier options 80-90% of the time, and keep your indulgences in the 10-20% range.
Make Time For Self Care In Your Busy Holiday Schedule
Do you get excited thinking about the large gatherings full of people you love? Or do you find yourself cringing at the idea of spending hours with friends or difficult relatives?
No matter how you feel going into the holidays, it’s important to make time for self care. Practice meditation to set your intentions, whether that be to prepare for the feast at hand or because you tend to feel overwhelmed with so much going on.
As you prepare for this holiday season, don’t let the book on your nightstand collect dust. Instead, make a point to read the story that’s captured your attention. Draw a bath with Epsom salts and feel your stress melt away. Enjoy the cooler weather and take a walk outside. All of these things will help keep you grounded and enjoying all the little things you love so much about the season.
Eat Mindfully & Still Enjoy Your Favorite Holiday Meals
Now, I know I’ve already touched on food and how any delicious bite is never actually a now or never situation. But you can plan ahead even further.
First of all, don’t skip meals to save calories and indulge in the holiday feast. This will only make your metabolism slow down. And that’s the last thing you want!
Choose healthy substitutes for the dishes you prepare. Instead of mashed potatoes, make some roasted sweet potatoes with olive oil, sea salt, and cinnamon. When recipes call for sour cream, use Greek yogurt. These are the small details that will give you the option to eat mindfully when the time comes.
Moreover, hydration is always a key to living a healthy life. Make sure to alternate each alcoholic beverage with a glass of water. This will help prevent you from snacking on heavy foods and allow you to feel good when you wake up the next morning. After all, this joyous season has no room for hangovers!
Is eating mindfully a challenge over the holidays or in your everyday life? Through my program, I help ambitious women leading chaotically busy lives reach the real results they’ve been searching for. Contact me today to get started!
Dance To Mariah (Or Anything) & Move Your Body
🎵I don’t want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need🎵
Mariah has returned for her seasonal debut, and we can’t help but hear her famous lyrics no matter where we go!
Rather than singing along quietly, move your body like you are on stage singing to the masses. Your body wants that movement to relieve stress, aid in digestion, and work off those bits of extra calories you can’t avoid.
Since exercise is one of the first things to fly out the window when you get busy, incorporate other types of movement. It doesn’t matter if you can’t dedicate an entire hour to sweating in a gym. Just move your hips when the music starts!
Also, take 30-minute walks around the neighborhood to check out everyone’s decorations. Or look up 20 minute virtual HIIT classes you can do at home. No matter how long your to-do list is, you need some form of exercise to keep your endorphins flowing and pants fitting. Plus, you’ll feel a whole lot better getting through your days – no matter how busy or stressful they may be.
Set Boundaries To Prevent Financial & Emotional Guilt
Do you tend to go overboard financially or socially over the holidays? Let me tell you a secret. You are not alone! But you can set boundaries to prevent those moments of financial and emotional guilt.
Unfortunately, junk food is typically cheaper than healthier foods. So budget your groceries early so you can make sure to stock your kitchen with the good-for-you foods you love. Need quick and easy nutritious pick-me-ups? Try one of my NRgy elixir recipes to start your day or give you that afternoon boost.
And when it comes to family time, boundaries are what keep the mood light and the good times rolling. If there’s a certain person who always pushes your buttons, then prepare for that ahead of time. Give yourself permission to take a walk if you feel yourself getting flustered. Prepare answers to probing questions that make you uncomfortable.
When you set boundaries, you will feel in control of everything – finances, health, social gatherings, family time, and more.
Give Yourself The Gift Of Kindness This Holiday Season
My most important tip to help you succeed over the holidays is to give yourself the gift of kindness.
Did your kids beg for the most expensive inflatable decorations? And in the spirit of the holidays – you just couldn’t say no?
Or maybe you overindulge on the delicious, nostalgic foods. Your aunt keeps topping off your wine glass, or your brother keeps throwing you another beer, and you just sip away, relishing in the good times you’ve missed so much.
An annual get together with friends has everyone eating and drinking like you were in college again. And if they can do it, why can’t you?
But then you wake up the next morning with a headache and realize you completely lost count of everything you ate.
If you went all out for whatever reason, don’t feel that you have thrown all your efforts out the window. Pick back up on your healthy habits and get yourself back on track.
Feel Great Over The Holidays & Beyond With A Healthy Lifestyle Strategy
Despite my career focus on making healthier, whole food options, I once fell so far off track I didn’t recognize myself. That’s when I took a break, re-evaluated my priorities, and finally put myself first.
A healthy lifestyle strategy can keep yourself and your health a priority. Because you’ll never be able to be everything to your family and friends if you don’t take care of yourself first.
So this holiday season, keep your health goals at the forefront of your decisions. And if you need help figuring out what healthy lifestyle strategy is right for you, get in touch with me. I help ambitious women just like you customize strategies for their unique needs because no two bodies are alike.