Holidays are meant to be relaxing and entertaining. While you indulge yourself in festivities and events, you are bound to become a bit careless about your weight and intake. People work on themselves the entire year and intake all sorts of diets to help them lose weight and stay healthy at the same time but all it takes is one or two-family or friend events to make it go down the drain.
People were almost certain that there is no such thing as ‘Healthy Holiday Eating’ whereas in fact, in reality, it is. Healthy holiday eating tips are one thing but how you use them is another. It all depends on how willing you are to follow the tips during the holiday season.
The key lies in finding a balance. If possible, try giving the tips a test run for a brief period before the holiday season to determine what you like and do not like. This way you are going to find a proper balance and will know what to eat and what not to eat.
Balance Your Meals
During the holiday season, we will not be shedding major pounds. However, that does not mean that we let go of ourselves and indulge in unhealthy eating habits. Furthermore, if you were to practice and implement healthy holiday eating tips, you might end up developing healthy eating habits throughout the year, which will make life even easier for you. Since you are sure that you will be eating truffles and other delicacies throughout the night, make a promise to yourself that you will also consume healthy meals during the day.
If you are aware that you will be attending a holiday event in the evening, prepare yourself mentally, and make sure to balance your meals. Focus on foods that are more nutritious and healthy rather than packed with cholesterol and added sugars. Once you have consumed fattening and unhealthy food items, make sure that you end the night with at least one healthy meal.
Consider Your Calories as a Budget
Burning calories is a big task. One has to spend hours in the gym to fight off hundreds of calories. Therefore, consider your calories as a budget. A calorie budget will define and limit how much you could indulge in unhealthy eating. Just like when we are on a budget, we would only spend on things that we need.
Furthermore, we would occasionally spend on something that we really like or enjoy having. Similarly, think of your calories as a budget and spend them only on things that you enjoy. Now, we are not saying that this will help you lose some weight. Different foods provide different types of calories. Therefore, this analogy will enable you to resist your temptations just when you decide to let yourself go.
Be Mindful of Eating
During family events, it is seldom that we stop to think about what we are eating. We eat and drink while we are standing up, talking to friends, walking, and sitting or even while having a casual conversation with someone. We always have something in our hands to keep us focused and entertained. However, this is exactly where you should be mindful of eating.
Be mindful of what you are eating and how you are eating as well. If we are eating and drinking while we are engaged in certain activities, this habit alone tricks our brain into thinking we haven’t consumed anything. Therefore, we start all over again and overdo unhealthy eating. Although it is impossible to catch a conversation with someone while eating but try to move to an area where you can eat in peace. This will allow you to pay attention to what you are eating and how much.
Know When to Say No
Now, this is a very important tip when it comes to discussing healthy holiday eating tips. Most often, knowing when to say no is impossible. The reason being, that resisting everything that is presented on the table is almost impossible especially if it is homemade. After you are done packing your stomach and there isn’t any space left, you will have to give Grandma’s cake a try so that it doesn’t offend her.
However, you should not practice unhealthy eating just to please someone. It could be understood that not eating a special dish might create awkwardness but in the long run, it will prevent you from feeling guilty and developing unhealthy eating habits.
Make Exercising a Habit
During the holiday season, it is totally okay to skip the regular grueling exercise and workout routines. Relax yourself a bit and skip a day or two but do not completely stop exercising. Many people think of exercise as a ‘mental punishment’ but one cannot imagine the positive effects it has on our body. Not only does it help us get our body in order but our minds as well.
Therefore, if it isn’t considered a perfect solution to ‘eating poorly’ then you might as well not consider it as ‘punishment. Keep things as simple as you can. Pick a day for exercising even if it is a little bit. Take a pet animal out for a walk, jog, walk, or just play outside for a while. Part of creating a perfect balance involves exercising and indulging in healthy activities even if it’s for a little while during the day.
Sleep Well
Ask any psychologist or a fitness trainer and they will swear by the fact that good sleep is also a key to developing healthy eating habits. Sleeping well helps us keep energized and relieves stress during the day. Therefore, if we were to be less stressed, we would prevent stress eating.
Furthermore, getting enough sleep is also essential to maintaining a healthy weight. It is a known fact that people who tend to stay awake late during the night indulge in unhealthy meals and snacks. Consuming unhealthy food items just before sleeping significantly adds weight. Therefore, be a friend to yourself and your body and force yourself to get a good night’s sleep every day.
Do Something Healthy Before Indulging
Before you indulge yourself in unhealthy eating, drink a glass of water that will make your stomach full and prevent you from overeating. Walk for a while or simply climb the stairs to think twice before indulging in unhealthy eating. The point here is to make yourself remember about healthy habits at all times. While it is possible that our brain area pertinent to healthy habits may shut off for a while, this will keep us attentive.
Develop a System
Developing a system is easy, you just have to find yourself some willpower. If you were to successfully develop a system, it shall not be temporary. Instead, you shall be able to program your brain permanently into thinking where you are going wrong. Develop rules and make a pact with yourself, that you will adhere to them regardless of the time and situation. Of course, take your time while you are it as both finding a balance and developing a system takes time. However, once you do think of all the hard work that you had put in before you waste it on unhealthy eating habits.
Final Word
As we conclude this guide, we are sure to have helped you develop healthy holiday eating habits. Staying healthy and being mindful of eating habits could be difficult during the holiday season but that does not mean it is impossible. By considering these easy tips mentioned in this guide, you can give the holiday season a perfect start.