Planning for A Healthy Holiday Season

Go into any store and you’ll get a stark reminder of how quickly the holidays are approaching! With Christmas sales already in full swing and calorie laden stocking stuffers overflowing on store shelves, many of us are already feeling the surmounting pressure of holiday preparations. The colder weather isn’t doing us any favors either, tempting us to disrupt our usual training routines in favor of 10 extra minutes under the warm covers or 20 extra minutes relaxing with a cup of hot coffee or tea.  

The time between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve is notorious for wreaking havoc on even the most disciplined health fanatics’ diet and exercise programs. So then, how are we regular people who are just trying to stay fit and feel good, supposed to avoid the dreaded holiday bulge? One place we can begin is proper planning.

Many people almost seem blindsided by the holiday trance that makes us all crave sweets and put off our workouts. News flash everyone – the holidays come at the same time every single year! So, get ready for them! No more excuses – just results.  

Here’s how you can prepare to resist holiday temptations as the holidays roll around once again this year.

• Plan your “cheats” – This is so important because, for most people, heading into the holidays with plans to remain on a strict diet throughout, can lead to total failure when the pressure of constant temptation surmounts. So, plan your cheats. If you know there’s an office holiday party coming up, and Susie from the cube down the hall is bringing her “to die for” cheesecake, eat a healthy meal before the party so you’re not starving when you get there, and then plan to enjoy a piece of your favorite cheese cake or whatever else it may be. Abstinence is not always the best policy when it comes to holiday treats!

• Supply healthy but delicious options – Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve don’t have to revolve around high calorie nutrient deficient foods. In fact, there are plenty of delicious foods you can make and bring to your holiday celebrations to keep yourself and your friends and families healthy amidst the celebrations. Prepared correctly, turkey, sweet potatoes, nuts, fruits, and veggies are ALL healthy holiday options!

• Modify your workouts – Are you an all or nothing type of workout person? The holidays are a time when many people will skip their regularly scheduled exercise in order to shop or bake or party. It’s time to rethink your approach here as well. If you know you have a week packed with holiday celebrations, plan 10 to 20 minutes from your busy days to do high intensity interval training. Done correctly, HIIT can burn as many calories in 20 minutes as traditional steady state cardio burns in 60 minutes! No one can say they don’t have 10 short minutes a day to dedicate to their health – even in the hectic holiday rush!

• Change your thinking – We’ve already established – the holidays aren’t a surprise. They happen every year at the same time whether we’re ready or not! So, change the way you think about holidays – change the way you celebrate. Do your holidays all have to revolve around food for them to be happy and memorable? Maybe it’s time to start new traditions that don’t involve a ton of unhealthy food and drink. Talk to your friends and families and come up with ideas to celebrate the holidays without gaining the typical 3 pounds of fat Americans put on between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

• Challenge yourself – Finally, if you know you’re one who has a tendency to overindulge and skip workouts during the holidays, consider registering yourself for some holiday races or tough mudders or training events. Knowing that you’ve already registered and paid to compete in select athletic events may keep you motivated to stick to your regular training routines throughout the holiday season.  

In the end, plan to have some treats, plan to remain active, find new ways to celebrate, and always keep in mind that holidays should not be an excuse to abuse your body, and essentially, eating copious amounts of junk and avoiding exercise qualifies as abuse! While you’re busy celebrating your respective holidays and what they mean to you and your loved ones, take the time to celebrate your health and wellness too by having a plan and sticking to it!

Now go and create your holiday plan! Stay focused and enjoy a happy, healthy holiday season!