When you add all of this up, it’s easy to see why folks gain weight during the holidays. Adding to that, the average person does not lose the weight in the following year. Over time, these increases in weight add up.
Here’s some helpful tips to keep the holiday pounds from packing on.
Food and Drink
Maintaining a healthy diet is often one of the biggest challenges we face during the temptations of the holiday season. Here’s 5 things to keep in mind:
1. Eat the same number of meals per day as you usually do
The holiday season is not the time to mix it up. If you’re already in a routine, stick with it. Don’t skip meals to compensate for overeating later. And don’t add meals to try to ward off hunger.
Humans like routines. Unless your doctor or health care professional has issued you an order, stick with the same routine you have. Be mindful of your eating. Are you eating because you’re hungry? Or are you eating because someone brought home baked goods to the office and they are only 2 feet away from your desk?
Skipping meals in order to “save calories” can backfire. Unless you’re already on an eating schedule that “skips meals” such as time restricted eating, intermittent fasting or another fasting protocol, your body won’t know how to handle the lack of calories. By skipping meals you could find yourself consuming far more calories when you do eat than you would have in total otherwise.
There’s good advice to “not shop hungry” so the tempting smells of the food court and eateries don’t lure you in. However, adding snacks or meals to your regular schedule can add unwanted calories without the need for them. Which brings me to the next tip.
2. Plan ahead for known splurges and temptations
To the extent that you can, plan ahead. If you know you will be hitting the mall up for shopping and you need to avoid the food court, plan the trip for after you’ve eaten and allow enough time so that you’re not still there when your next meal needs to happen. If you think you’re going to be there extra long, try adding some additional lean protein to your pre-shopping meal (or snack). Lean protein takes longer to digest and keeps you feeling full longer.
If you know you have a friend’s party you’re going to on Friday, make a plan for the week and stick to it. Don’t splurge on extra calories Tuesday at work, and Wednesday after work. Likewise, if you and/or your family typically does a large spread on Thursday, plan for it. Keep your intake at or below normal Monday-Wednesday.
Go to parties with a strategy. If you decide to limit your food intake, have a plan to politely turn people down. If you know you’re prone to noshing mindlessly on popcorn or chips while watching the game, decide a strategy to limit your exposure to the temptation.
3. Choose treats mindfully (Enjoy the ones you pick)
This one is one of my favorites, but maybe a hard one. Allow yourself to eat the desserts and holiday treats. But be choosy. Eat only the special things that people make. Or only the special truffles available during holiday season.
And savor the entire thing. Make every bite take 5 times as long to eat. REALLY ENJOY it.
In fact, if you want to sample more, eat less of each. At the end of the night, you’ll feel like you had all the desserts, when you only had a bite of each.
4. Be mindful of liquid calories
This should go without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway. Calories like to hide in drinks.
1 cup of (non-alcoholic) eggnog can have up to 360 calories! But, also be mindful of calories from Lattes, hot chocolates and spiced ciders (even non-alcoholic ones). Treat these drinks as you would a dessert.
Sodas, Sweet teas, energy drinks and coffee with sugar and cream all add up.
And I’m going to say it. Alcohol has calories too. In fact, it has about as many calories as fat does per gram (7 cal/g for alcohol, 9 cal/g for fat. Compare that to just 4 cal/g for protein and carbohydrate). And I know there’s thinking out there that alcohol calories don’t count because our “body can’t use it”. But the truth is far more complicated. Our body does have to process it. And some of it does get turned to sugars.
Even if you don’t count the calories from alcohol, remember to account for all the additives you might put in your alcohol. Honey in your hot toddy, cream in your White Russian, Tonic in your gin and tonic, cranberry juice in your vodka cran….
And… what might be an even bigger culprit is the “Lack of inhibition” alcohol consumption can cause. That bowl of caramel covered popcorn might look real good and “not that high in calories” after your second drink. See above for strategy planning.
5. Enjoy the Company over the feast
Remember that the holidays are a time for celebration with family and friends. Focus on connecting to the people during this time. Engage with others more. Bring your conversations away from the buffet table. Enjoy the food, but enjoy the company more.
Exercise and Movement
Like maintaining a healthy diet, keeping up with your current exercise routine can be a challenge with all the added things to do. Here’s some ways to get some extra calorie burn this holiday season.
1. Sneak in extra steps
Calorie burn from movement adds up over the course of a day. It’s good to know that you don’t have to do all your “exercise” at once. So, think about how you can get more movement to your already planned tasks.
Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator. Walk next to the moving sidewalk (or at least walk on it and not just stand). I know a few folks travel during the holidays as well, so get extra steps where you can in airports and hotels.
Park further away from the places you have to shop. I know that in some climates it’s cold and snowy out. Do your best. If you’re shopping at a mall, maybe don’t park at the entrance nearest the store you know you want/need to go to. So you get your extra steps inside. Which brings me to…
2. Mall Walking
Many malls now offer hours for walking. Check with your local mall. If you typically like to go for walks but find yourself staying indoors in inclement weather, mall walking can be a good alternative. (Plus you can sometimes take stairs for added burn.)
3. At Home Calisthenics
If you’re more strapped for time, try some calisthenics at home. Walk/march in place or do jumping jacks for cardio. Try holding a plank or maybe attempting some pushups. I’m not a fan of sit-ups, but there are plenty of in-home exercises you can do with little or no equipment. Click here for my list of favorite exercises for a quick workout (with little or no equipment).
4. Online Yoga
Jumping jacks and pushups not your style? Try some Yoga. If you can’t get to a local class, there are online courses available. Some are free to try.
5. Dance or Fitness Classes
Want an adventure? Try something new. Bribe (I mean convince… er… ask) visiting relatives to try something with you. Or, if you’re in a new location visiting, see if there is something you can check out. Bonus is if you’re trying a dance class and you’re bad at it, you probably won’t ever be back. 🙂
Bottom line with exercise is to keep moving and let the activity add up. If you’re already doing a scheduled workout plan, stick to it by scheduling it in your day, but give yourself some leeway to skip if things are too crazy. Just remember to do some sort of movement instead that day.
Mental and Emotional Wellness
Let’s not forget the mental and emotional stress that the holidays can put on us. It’s always important to take care of yourself. But it’s really easy to forget during the giving season. Here’s some tips for keeping yourself stress (wishful thinking) free.
1. Overestimate task time
There are always tons of things to get done during the holidays. When you are planning your schedule, overestimate the time it will take to do things. If you think you can get your shopping done in an hour, budget 90 min. If you typically run errands in 20 min, budget 30. If you have kids events, add time to both the preparation budget and the event budget. This way, if things go long, the whole schedule isn’t nearly as shot, and maybe you can steal from some tasks that didn’t take as long as you thought.
2. Keep a maintenance attitude
Now is not the time to try to lose 5 extra pounds, or gain 10 pounds of muscle. If you’re already on that path, great, use some of the tips above to avoid derailing your trajectory. If you haven’t started on the path, don’t set a bunch of goals that are likely to set you up for failure. I like to set a modest goal of not gaining weight for weeks like Christmas or Thanksgiving. If you already know your normal weight fluctuations, keep that in mind when weighing yourself. If you aren’t already weighing yourself and can’t or don’t want to start, you can always use a pair of pants to gage fit to keep an eye on weekly changes.
3. Get enough sleep
It’s really important to give yourself enough time to get a full night’s rest. Sleep is one of the most helpful things for us physically. Shoot for 6-8 hours of sleep. Be mindful of sleep needs when planning around parties and other social gatherings. If you know you’re going to be out late, maybe you can sleep in the next day. Or try napping.
4. Take time for you each day
During the giving season it is easy to get caught up focusing on everyone else and their needs. Remember to give yourself some care as well. Set aside 3-5 min of “me” time to meditate, journal, or do something relaxing. If you can squeeze in more, go for it. You deserve it.
5. Forgive yourself
Don’t shoot for perfection. You just need to be good enough. Remember the 80/20 rule. Shoot to be good 80% of the time. Allow the 20% “slip-ups”. If you miss your gym workout that’s ok. If you ate all the pie, that’s Ok too. Just don’t do it more than 20% of the time.
What does 80% really look like?
If you workout 5 times a week. 80% is 4 of the 5 times. That’s one workout a week you can miss and still be 80%. (consistency wins).
If you eat 3 meals a day that’s 21 meals per week. 80% is being “good” for 16-17 of them each week. If you’re with me on the math, that’s 4-5 meals you can cheat on. If you’re a 5 meal a day kind of person, of your 35 meals, 28 should be on target. For my OMAD friends out there, you need to be on target 5-6 meals a week. (That’s still 1-2 that can deviate from target).
Remember mental and emotional health is just as important as your physical health. It is important to keep yourself on the top of your priority list.
The holidays can be a trying time for health conscious folks. Remember that little things add up. You don’t need to be perfect all the time. With some planning and strategy, you can mitigate the temptations and stressors that are prevalent this time of year. And always remember to treat yourself well and practice self-compassion. You are worth it.