Healthy Holiday Tips
Don't let the holidays hijack your health.
By following these 8 tips, you can
truly enjoy your holidays while feeling... AMAZING!
Give the gift of a happy, healthy holiday to everyone, including YOU!
It can be a SON OF A ... gun attempting to keep healthy habits during the delicious, stressful BUT beautiful holidays! This post is going to help you through these temptations of gravy, pies, cookies.
Ohhhh... the cookies!
Do you know that it is normal to gain 5-10 pounds during the holidays?
AHHHHH!!!
I knew I NEVER wanted to be normal and this reconfirms it!
It's hard to think about taking care of yourself during the holidays! Trust me, I can relate! But what is more difficult, is thinking how far you can put yourself behind in your goals or feeling like crap because you're worried about making this holiday beautiful for everyone else and leaving yourself out. The holidays DO NOT have to be beautiful at the expensive of YOUR HEALTH.
Keeping yourself healthy during this time of year is actually going to give all the ones you love the BEST version of you, by you feeling good in your body, having less anxiety, and having more energy to run around!
With these 8 tips listed below,
you not only make everyone else's
holiday AMAZING but yours too!
Plus, keep reading to score some holiday FREEBIES.
Tip 1:
LET IT GO
If you don't do well one moment, one meal, one day or MANY... MOVE ON! Don't beat yourself up! You do NOT have to roll down the whole damn mountain if you only fell a couple feet. That would hurt, right?! Well, so will your waistline, stress level, confidence, etc.!
When you feel like you have "failed," just think of the Frozen song... "LET IT GO, LET IT GOOOO!"
Let it go and get back on track! You've got this!
Tip 2:
THINK PORTIONS
OKAY fellow foodies, it can be SOOO HARD to put down the deliciousness! DAMN taste buds being so on point!
To help me, I use these flippin' SWEET portion control containers that are color-coded (red=protein, purple=fruits, etc.) as an easy calculation that even a non-math genius like myself can do! SUPER SIMPLE!, (By the way, I HEART calculators.)
Click HERE to check out these color-coded bad butt containers AND it comes with cookbook too! Plus, this makes a cool stocking stuffer for a friend or family member you know has some goals for after the holidays!
Health is the best gift anyone can have!
If you want to pass on them, no worries! Stick with more veggies, go light or nada (none) on the sauces, really limit your sugar and starches, (ohhhh... the horror!) and follow tip 3 below.
TIP 3:
ALTERNATIVES
Good golly Miss Molly, there are SOOO many alternatives to SOOOO MANY things that will satisfy your craving/desire/taste bud mission, PLUS actually be healthy! SAY WHAT?! Yes, ma'am! Our bodies are telling us what they want because they actually need it (well, not the cookie that is making you "salivate your lips off - but the sugar...) YOU ARE TIRED AND YOUR BODY WANTS ENERGY!
So how can you make it healthier? Sushi banana, that's how! Get sugar from your fruits, peanut butter, etc.!
So here are 3 alternative fixes...
Banana Sushi (as discussed above):
-One banana of your choice, sliced down the middle to make like a long boat
Toppings ideas:
-peanut or almond butter
-jelly
-chopped pecans or walnuts
and devour... SOO YUMMY!
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese (maybe your new holiday dish)
Ummm... YES PLEASE!! YUM! Click HERE for the recipe!
Yogurt Goodness
Or... a fav of mine for when I am craving cereal (yes, cereal at night is pretty amazing but "no bueno" for me) I go with this deliciousness instead.
Yogurt Goodness
-1/4 cup of honey greek yogurt
-1/4-1/2 cup of frozen blueberries warmed up for about a minute in the microwave
-sprinkle some cinnamon and sugar on top
TIP 4:
Here is a snack I made in the back of my car when traveling, with yogurt from a hotel breakfast! LOL, you heard right... a hotel complimentary breakfast at that!! I also use these shakes most days as a breakfast replacement because I am not big on breakfast but in this shakes I put fruits and even veggies with my super nutritious shake powder
EATING HEALTHY CAN ACTUALLY BE EASY
(WEIRD!! haha)
Once again, it's so easy to get in our heads (keep reading for more info) and make this shiz'nit difficult! It really does not have to be!
Promise, pinky swear, cross my heart...
Make meals that are healthy AND easy (like some of the recipes I gave you), have your favorites AKA go-to's, have healthy snack/meals READY to go before the hungry attack happens and you turn into cave man or woman-ish... like "ME. EAT. FOOD. NOW" and then you devour whatever is in your face - do some MEAL PLANNING!
Spaghetti Squash is yummy and HEALTHY
(CLICK HERE for making the recipe) that can be easy to make with a lot of flavor! You want another easy-meal-planning-for-the-week recipe?!
Ask and you shall receive (haha) - here are 6 crazy easy chicken meals that you can store, freeze or have that night (or other nights) for dinner! Check out it out below!
P.S. it's even easier because this is a video (BOOM!) and that channel is really great for more healthy ideas! They rock! You're welcome, I GOT YOU!
Then, when it comes to eating your Christmas Eve, Christmas day breakfast/lunch/dinner, or an in-between treat here and there... you will feel NO guilt because you did good during the rest of the month with your healthy, nutritious meals!
TIP 5:
KICK START YOUR METABOLISM
(even during the holidays!)
First thing is first... YES IT IS POSSIBLE TO DO THIS! Many people will be like, "but I'm older and my metabolism is no longer good." "I've had kids and it's not possible to change my body the way I want it." Let me tell you, it doesn't matter how old you are, how many kids you have, etc.. Our metabolism does slow down ,but it does not stop by any means.
You CAN lose weight if you want to
AND
you can TOTALLY kick start your metabolism!
Here is a FOOLPROOF way of doing just that! Read "The 3 S's Morning Routine" (morning is best, but later works too!) and eating right most days (or meals), you will be WELL on your way! You can just start flexing right NOW!
Once you kick this in gear, after your holiday feast, you might look at the scale the next day and go...
"WHAT? I LOST WEIGHT!!"
I know this because I have done it! I actually lost weight one day after I pigged out on non-nutritious buffet and looked at the scale fearing what it would say I gained the 30 pounds back I had lost, but NOPE I lost 1 to 2 pounds! FOR REAL! That was the best feeling EVER!
TIP 6:
KEEP HYDRATED
Keeping hydrated is going to help you to not overeat. Sometimes, when we keep eating, we really aren't hungry... our bodies are sometimes just craving water. I know it might sound weird, but it's true. Also, drinking a glass of water before eating your meal will help you to not overeat. AND... drinking water as soon as you wake up helps wake up your metabolism!
Bring your water bottle when you are holiday shopping, or eating, and combat those binging temptations. If you have a hard time drinking water, add to it! I like to add frozen strawberries, lemon, cucumber, mango, etc., and it is a treat!
TIP 7:
GET YOUR MIND RIGHT
I need you to know that all of this being healthy, losing weight or feeling better in your body stuff really isn't that hard.
What is difficult for us is...
JUST DOING IT!
We get in our heads, we give up before even trying (so that way we don't actually fail, because... we never even started) - we just wish it to happen but do nothing to start making it happen. If you change the way you think about it, it is all rewards from there. Our brains are trying to avoid pain, avoid failure (emotional pain), and stay where we know we are "safe." Even though we know something is better for us, we still go for the quick fix, the shortcut, and that works for us in that moment BUT all of these little actions are adding up and working against us. People don't become overweight by one cookie, but many cookies, over many days, week and years. All these "simple" choices are adding up against you. Stop letting your head hold you back from what your heart and body knows is right! Once you start on the healthy path, with consistent healthy choices... your brain is going to get on board and you will think...
"Why, in the HELL, did I wait so long?!"
TIP 8:
ACCOUNTABILITY & SUPPORT
Now when you have your mind right, you just have to keep it that way!
Having family or friends supporting you in your healthy holiday habits by sharing this post with them, get some on board with you that want the same thing you do, and tell them your plans. Maybe you keep your weight where it is now, maybe you want to lose 5 pounds- instead of gaining it.
For ULTIMATE support & accountability, you can be part of a group of women who want to improve their health habits and create a better lifestyle, not only this holiday month, but every month -
and IT'S FREE!
I SAID FREE!
Merry Christmas or shall I say Fitmas
(corny? Maybe a little! lol)
Every month you can get tips, make connections, be supported by your personal healthy lifestyle coach (Sarah Lacko - the writer of this post) and more.
Interested?! CLICK HERE, fill out the form to let me know what you want to achieve and I will contact you with more information! When you do, I will send you a link to receive 14 days FREE of hundreds of workouts, just for being interested AND you will be part of this month's group!
You don't have a lot of time before you go to that Christmas party and you want to show up feel ing HELLA good in your skin and clothes! HEYYY!!
And remember...