Photo by August de Richelieu
The end-of-year holiday period is one that many people look forward to and enjoy, but it is also one that comes with challenges. Many people struggle with their healthy lifestyle during this time of year, often finding that they move less, eat unhealthier foods, and even gain weight. The good news is that there are realistic ways to avoid that and still enjoy the food frenzy time of the year.
“This time of the year, people are tempted with so many food choices at every turn,” said Shana Greenbaum, founder of Healthy Fresh Meals, a home delivery meal prep service. “It’s easy to see how it can be so harmful to one’s health and lifestyle and set them on a path of creating new habits that they don’t necessarily want.”
Many people enter the New Year feeling bad about themselves,
partly due to the way they handled the food frenzy of the preceding holiday season. If they gain weight, stop exercising, drink too much, or let their lifestyle slip, they feel sluggish and find it difficult to get back on track. The best way to avoid this guilt and body backlash is to take steps to prevent it from happening in the first place.
Nobody wants to miss out on the holiday fun. There will be a plethora of events filled with festive foods, drinking opportunities, lost sleep, and busier schedules. While some of it is fun, it can also be challenging and lead to increased stress and anxiety, as well as impact one’s health. In fact, according to a study published in the Journal of Obesity, the holiday season appears to increase body weight in adults, even among participants seeking to lose weight and those who are motivated to self-monitor.
Here are some realistic ways that people can still enjoy the holiday meals, while keeping balance, energy, and their sanity:
- Forget all or nothing. It’s essential to maintain a balance, rather than opting only for salads or giving up altogether and eating anything all week long. Seek a balance that includes some indulgent meals, but balances them with healthier choices.
- Don’t skip meals. It’s tempting not to eat all day in preparation for a holiday party in the evening. However, that often sets people up to attend ravenously, abandon any scrutiny or limits, and go all out, overeating as they do. Eat meals throughout the day, so that you won’t arrive starving, and will feel more inclined to consume a normal amount of food.
- Be more mindful. Pay attention to the choices that you make, so that they count. Indulge in things you know are going to be good and that are your favorites, and skip the calories on the things you assume will be just okay. You want to get the most out of the food choices you make, even if it’s ensuring that if you are going to eat one dessert, it’s going to be the best one for you. Make it count and make it worthwhile.
- Keep moving. This is not the time to sit it out when it comes to getting physical activity. It’s essential to continue exercising, which helps burn extra calories and keeps the body feeling better. In fact, it’s a great time to incorporate some additional steps and be more active to help combat the holiday frenzy.
- Get rest and reset. Prioritize getting enough sleep and rest during the holidays. According to the National Institutes of Health, sleep provides mental health benefits, heals and repairs the body, supports healthy hormone levels, enhances the body’s ability to fight germs and sickness, and reduces the risk of health problems. Getting enough sleep helps you function better, reduces stress, and enables you to make healthier decisions.
- Make it easier. As people find the holiday period to be stressful and time-consuming, there are ways to help ease that burden. Doing things like preparing healthy meals for the family and taking the focus off events with food can help a lot. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends planning events that don’t involve eating to take the focus off food. These can include volunteering, ice skating, winter hiking, taking a walk with a friend, or visiting a museum.
“This time of the year, we help a lot of people with their food prep so they continue eating healthy and have less stress,” added Greenbaum. “Determine what you need to do to come out of this season feeling strong, healthy, and ready to take on another year with strength.”
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