Holiday Series: Part 2

It’s that time of year, the holidays! Filled with parties, holiday food, yummy baked goods and celebratory drinks.  If you haven’t read it already, check out my first post in this three-part holiday series, “CHEERS! The Effects of Alcohol on Weight Loss and Muscle Growth Goals”.  In an effort to help you navigate the holidays and still make progress toward your health and fitness goals, I wanted to offer a series to help you maintain focus and ensure you set yourself up for a great start to 2023.  This month I offer some advice on navigating those holiday parties so that you can still enjoy those special dishes you love, but not completely blow your progress out of the water.

Navigating Holiday Parties/Events

I don’t know about you, but at least every single weekend on my calendar is typically filled with something related to the holidays…and it always includes eating out or a buffet of those savory homemade holiday foods, all the baked yummy goodies, and of course, wine!  The thing is, I want to enjoy these things.  I also LOVE to bake and often bring treats to events, and of course, want to eat them.  The great thing is, there is a such thing called “balance” and in order to maintain a good balance throughout the holiday sweets and treats is to PLAN.  This is number one.  

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

- Benjamin Franklin

The best thing you can do to navigate the holidays and continue progressing toward your goals is to make a PLAN!  …and of course stick to it…that’s also key (wink).  Make sure you have a consistent nutrition plan to rely on, whether it’s a meal plan or macro plan.  Ensuring that 80% of your nutrition each week is filled with healthy, whole food options to ensure you have a good, balanced diet. 

Use your holiday parties/events as free meals.  If you have one or two free meals each week, you can easily maintain an 80/20 balance with your nutrition by saving your free meals for these days.  I suggest you start by pulling out your calendar and start recording all of the holiday parties, gatherings and events you have coming up.  This way you have a visual plan for your free meals, can ensure you are keeping yourself on track toward your goals, and not missing out on those goodies you want to enjoy.

“Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally,it comes from what you do consistently.”

- Marie Forleo

I can’t say this enough, maintaining your healthy routine, with both nutrition and exercise, is of utmost importance.  My clients have heard me say a thousand times, “consistency is key!”.  Maintaining this structure not only helps keep those extra calories under control, it also ensures you are fueling your body appropriately and staying healthy through the holiday season, and feeling good!

Keep moving!  Continue your workouts.  If you are traveling, take bands with you, find a local gym, or get outside.  The point is to STAY ACTIVE!  Remember, calories in/calories out.  If your goal is weight loss, you need to expend more calories than you are taking in.  If you are working on muscle growth, make sure you are training HARD to use those calories effectively!

Make sure your water intake is still on par.  Water helps keep the cells in your body running at their optimal level.  It helps keep all processes, including fat loss, running effectively.  It can also help keep you regular and stave off those feelings of hunger.

Get those steps in!  If you haven’t seen it already, go back and read my blog post on the N.E.A.T. concept.  N.E.A.T. stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis.  It is a component of your daily energy expenditure that increases the number of calories burned above your basal metabolic rate (BMR). What does this mean?  The more you move, the more calories you burn.  Make sure you are active outside of the gym.  Get out for a walk before meals, park farther away from the store when shopping…get up and move often.

“Healthy habits are learned in the same way as unhealthy ones - through practice.”

- Wayne W. Dyer

Working through a lifestyle change can be challenging at times.  This is where creating solid habits will help you to be successful in navigating the holidays and reaching your goals.  Regularly practicing these habits will help make them routine and easier to maintain.  Here are a few things you can do to help stay in control and make sure you don’t go overboard.

• The day of your party/event, make sure you get some sort of activity in.  Get in the gym or go for a walk.  Make sure you are moving!  Remember to get those steps in.

• When at the party/event, make sure to prioritize proteins and veggies first before going for those high fat or sugar-filled treats.  As your mom likely said, “make good choices”.

• Avoid processed foods as much as possible and stick with homemade, and whole foods.

• Remember, moderation and portion control! If you are one to go for seconds, give your body time to process the first plate by waiting 20-30 minutes before you decide to refill your plate.  Ready for dessert?  Again, be mindful of portion sizes.

• Limit the liquid calories.  Remember, alcohol not only adds calories to your day, it also slows metabolism.  Research has also shown that it can lead to increased calorie intake at meals.

“We achieve our dreams only when we have a successful mindset;

the ones focused on positive mental attitudes, victory, empowerment, and good habits.”

- Faith P. Black

Mindset is the most important factor when it comes to reaching your goals and navigating the challenges that may arise.  Having a mental plan of how you will navigate the holidays is important.  You don’t have to say yes to every gathering you are invited to.  Don’t be afraid to say no to social gatherings if it is going to cause unneeded stress.  Prioritizing your mental/emotional health, as well as your physical health, will help keep stress down and you feeling good!

However, if you do decide to go to a holiday gathering, evaluate the purpose of the gathering.  Obviously parties include food and alcohol, but is this really the purpose of the gathering?  Take a step back and evaluate why the party is occurring.  It’s likely to spend quality time with family/friends, to catch up, or make important memories.  I’m willing to bet it’s not being held simply to eat and drink.

Avoid restrictive behaviors and the “all or nothing” approach.  If you find yourself in a place where you felt you went overboard, learn from the situation.  Evaluate why you did it, how you were feeling and how you could have better controlled the situation to better support your goals.  Then…move on!  Get right back to your plan and don’t dwell on the past.

Make sure you have a good support system to lean on.  Ensure you have an honest and supportive person to help keep you accountable, whether it’s a coach, family member or friend.  Lifestyle changes can be challenging and overwhelming at times.  Having a good support in place will help keep you focused on your goals.

You absolutely can enjoy all the holiday happenings without completely derailing your progress toward your goals…it’s called balance.  In order to be successful the first thing you need is a plan.  From there, it’s ensuring you are consistent with your nutrition, water intake, exercise and daily activity, making sure you practice good habits, and focus on a healthy mindset, supportive of your goals and overall health.