For many, it can be a challenge to eat healthy and exercise throughout the year, but the holidays present a whole different level of added temptations.
The holiday season often revolves around food-centric traditions and holiday parties that encourage us to enjoy special treats and meals while connecting with loved ones. It’s a time of indulgence at every level.
For some, the holidays can trigger emotional responses. Stress, excitement and even nostalgia can lead us to seek comfort in food even when we aren’t hungry. And festive spreads are often lavish and abundant, making it easy to lose track of portion sizes and consume more food and drink than we intend.
Just knowing some the effects of overindulging usually isn’t enough to keep us on track but here are a few reminders anyway:
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- Digestive discomfort: Consuming large quantities of rich and indulgent food can overwhelm our digestive system, leading to bloating, gas and heart burn.
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- Weight gain: Overeating during the holiday season can contribute to weight gain, impacting our overall health and wellbeing.
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- Energy fluctuations: The rapid intake of high-calorie, high fat and/or sugary foods and drinks can lead to energy spikes and crashes, affecting our mood and energy levels.
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- Disruptive sleep: Heavy meals especially when consumed close to bedtime can disrupt sleep patterns, leading to poor sleep quality and potential fatigue the next day.
Fear not! Navigating parties and gatherings while staying true to your health goals is possible. Yes, you can savor the holidays while prioritizing your health and wellbeing. Here are 15 of my strategies that keep me on track:
1. Plan ahead. When I know I have social gatherings or events coming up, I plan my meals and snacks accordingly. If I’m going to be eating out, I check the menu before arriving to the restaurant to decide on healthy options that align with my dietary goals. If I know we’ll be having a larger dinner, I’ll eat a filling but smaller breakfast and/or lunch. And if I’m eating at a friends house for dinner, I focus on the veggies, salads instead of the pasta, potatoes and/or meat.
2. Set intentions: I keep my health goals top of mind and remind myself of the benefits of making mindful healthy choices. These intentions continually guide me day in and day out as well as social events and temptations.
3. Shift Perspective: I always try to view healthy eating as a positive lifestyle choice rather than a restrictive diet. That it’s about nourishing my body and promoting overall wellbeing and longevity. I challenge my negative beliefs about eating healthy. By reminding myself of more positive and empowering thoughts, all those negative limiting beliefs go away. Sometimes, especially during holiday gatherings, I need to remind myself this perspective more than usual, that I am choosing and the more I do that, the easier it is to stay on track.
4. Hydrate: I always choose to drink at least half my body weight in ounces of of water. I constantly sip on water (preferably with lemon) at social gatherings and when I can, I put it in a pretty party glass so I feel festive without the alcohol or added sugar. I also drink a few large (16 oz) bottles or glasses of water before arriving to the gathering so my tummy is full before I’m presented with tempting foods.
5. Offer to bring a dish or two: If I’m attending a gathering at someone’s home, I insist on bringing a nutritious dish that I know is healthy and is something I enjoy eating and sharing with others. This ensures that there is a healthy option that fits with my eating plan available. Last Thanksgiving I took a delicious Baja Butternut Squash soup to my brother’s house and everyone loved it. For some it was a starter, but for me it was a meal!
6. Be a social butterfly: I try to focus on engaging conversations, laughter and bonding with others. I shift the emphasis from the food to the company I’m keeping, it’s always so great to catch up with people in person instead of text or FaceTime.
7. Create active social gatherings: I always suggest activities that involve physical movement, like a family hike, walking the dogs, dancing, playing a sport or even playing a competitive (and physical) game of charades.
8. Be confident in your food choices: I confidently order meals or make choices that align with my dietary preferences. If someone questions my choices, I happily explain without feeling defensive, restricted or preachy. I also try to stay informed about nutrition, wellness and healthy cooking techniques. This learning tends to keep me more engaged and motivated on my health journey, and it’s great conversation for others who may not know of the more healthy ways to cook or season foods without all the traditional ways of using refined sugar, unhealthy fats or butter, and too much salt.
9. Host a “healthy” get-together: Hosting a party is the best way for me to control temptations at parties. Of course, I can’t ALWAYS be the hostess, but when I can, doing so enables me to prepare healthier versions of traditional dishes. It’s fun to show friends and family that nutritious options can be even more delicious than the high fat, high sugar or richer recipes with no negative after meal digestive discomforts. I once hosted a holiday potluck where each guest was challenged to bring a HEALTHY dish to the gathering. To make it easy, the rules were no added sugar (or sugar substitutes), no butter and no flour. It was quite a challenge for some people, but many of those delicious dishes have become new “go to” favorites!
10. Connect over shared activities: Instead of connecting over meals, I like to explore other activities that encourage bonding. Last year on Thanksgiving morning, my niece and I walked a 5K “Turkey Trot” and we got to visit and chat the entire 3.1 time. Later that same day, my brother, and sister-in-law and I took the dogs for a nice walk in their new neighborhood. We’ve also done yoga classes and spin classes together on holidays. If physical activities aren’t up your alley, how about going to a museum or volunteering together as an alternative way to connect, not involving food?
11. Stay active: I make my workout a priority every single day, holiday or not. I try to get my workouts done before everyone wakes up so as not to disrupt the holiday schedule. When I’m visiting friends or family, I find local fitness centers (gym, cycle bar, yoga studio, etc.) that allow me to pay for just the days I’m using their facilities and are close to where I’m staying. And if that’s not an option, I will get outside and walk my miles (even in the snow). Or I’ll do an AppleFit workout which goes with me anywhere I go! I also try to get some sort of movement in before a meal and I try to encourage those I’m with to take post-meal walks with me and my dog if they are so inclined.
12. Embrace mindful eating: With every meal, but especially during the holidays, I try to engage as many of my senses as possible when I eat. I pay attention to the color, taste, texture and aroma of my food as well as the beauty of the table scape and/or buffet spread.
Another mindful eating practice I embrace is to chew my food to the point of mush before swallowing it. Doing so allows me to taste the food longer, it helps me eat less because I actually have time to notice when I’m full, and it’s better for my body’s digestive processes, which aids in eliminating digestive discomfort after the meal.
Also, I pause and listen to my body. By paying attention to your body’s hunger and fullness signals you can avoid overeating solely out of boredom, stress or holiday hype. Sometimes I think about a hunger scale of 1-10, 1 being starving and 10 being stuffed. Then I stop eating when I hit a 4 or 5. Anything over 7 is downright uncomfortable for me.
Finally, I also try to be mindful of my portion size so I don’t over eat. All of this allows me to enjoy all the colors and textures of the food I’m eating and helps me recognize when I’m genuinely full vs. stuffing myself to the point of being uncomfortable. 80% of my plate is typically veggies and salad greens, and the other 25% might be fresh non-creamed based soups, or maybe a little meat (no more than 2-3 oz of turkey, chicken or fish).
13. Choose a healthy desert: I like to choose dishes with no added sugar which is why I always offer to bring a dessert to the party. If that’s not an option, I’ll take a small bite of one or two deserts that have more fruit than not, so I don’t feel deprived. But I generally find those traditional desserts to be way too sweet or my taste buds and even a bite or two is way too much for my taste buds. I find that deserts with fruit and minimal added sugar (if any) is best for me. Or even better yet, one of the best after meal desserts is a lovely cup of herbal tea (like cinnamon, peppermint or chamomile). I always travel with my tea. This signals the end of the meal and really reduces my desire for further snacking.
14. Practice gratitude: Every Thanksgiving as we gather around the table and enjoy our meal together, each of us gets the floor for a few minutes to talk about the things we are thankful for.
After a meal, I find its also good to reflect on the nourishment I provided to my body and how it’s fueling my body. Somehow this post meal reflection helps me feel more connected to my food choices. Keeping a gratitude journal (not always specifically about food) is a good way to document that reflection and it really helps get it out of your head to make room for other things to come in.
15. Brush your teeth: I keep my toothbrush with me and I brush my teeth during gatherings to help keep me from overeating. Freshly brushed teeth pairs well with water but the taste of toothpaste certainly does not pair well with most food, so freshly brushed teeth helps me to feel fresh, and keeps me from eating. Besides, fresh breath is always appreciated by others.
The holiday season is a time to enjoy the company of loved ones, share laughs with those you love and celebrate the joy of life. You can enjoy healthy delicious foods without compromising your health and wellbeing. These strategies can help you navigate the holiday season with a sense of enjoyment, comfort and zero regret or guilt. It’s all about making conscious choices that align with your health, and happiness.
The journey to a healthier, happier you is so worth it. I know because I lived it.
I stopped chasing weight loss and started focusing on my health—and that single shift changed everything. I lost 140 pounds, but more importantly, I found clarity, energy, and a life that finally feels like mine. I tell the whole story in my book. Click HERE to learn more.
With much love and light for happy healthy holidays!
