9 Holiday Eating Tips
So the food journey of the holiday season has begun but you’re going to be good this year right? Great! We’re here to help. The moment you finished the whole weekend of eating the Thanksgiving leftovers, the Christmas season followed directly in line with all its delicious little (unhealthy) snacks and BIG meals. This can become really tricky if you are currently trying to change your eating habits from unhealthy to healthy. To help you with your meal plan we’ve put together the very best personal trainer eating tips to answer your question: how can I stay on track with my diet during the holidays?
1. Train in the morning
This might not be part of your workout routine however to start your day with a training session compliments your circulation and your metabolism. Especially in the holiday season we are busy, trying to get everything done before Christmas and the New Year. Thus we end up running from place to place and we have the perfect excuse why we could not do our afternoon workout. Start your day with a small fruit snack and have a whole breakfast after your training. Therefore, you will not need an excuse if you get your workout done in the morning.
2. Stay on track – take notes
especially, during the holiday season there are many opportunities to snack on the go as they offer you the new seasonal cheese in the supermarket, which you of course need for your Christmas dinner. And most of the time it is even worse with the bakeries offering small bits of this pie and that cake tiny bits of calories that will add up. The worst part is most of these little snacks we eat in a moment of unawareness as we are on the go busy thinking about our actual business. To keep an eye on what we eat all day it helps to write down every meal we eat including all the tiny samples we might eat on the go. A food journal can help you to stay on track with your diet although this demands some self-discipline.
3. Don’t go hungry to a party
The feeling of satiety begins usually 20 minutes after a meal. In general our body takes a few more hours of digestion before we feel hungry again. Thus nutrition consists of to major feelings/signals of our body: appetite and hunger. If you turn up hungry at a party, you are in danger of over filling your plate and thus eating way more than you need. This does not mean you should eat a whole meal before a party, however eat something an hour before so you do not turn-up in a mood where your eyes decide what amount of food you eat. Otherwise to take a small plate and taking your time might help as well.
4. Don’t proscribe everything
To fasten for a few weeks is a challenge. However, it should have a time limit and abnegation generally encourages desire. If we are too strict with our diet we might get overwhelmed by ravenous hunger attacks, which normally end with us consuming more of the denied food in a short time. For the holiday season the same rules apply to plan our cheat meals into our daily or weekly meal plan. With all the seasonal dainties surrounding us it would be (almost) impossible to waive.
5. Find an ally
If you do not already have a workout buddy this might be another reason to consider an alliance with another family member or friend who has the same goal as you. Find someone who is in the same situation and you can try new lighter recipes, motivate each other, and exchange your troubles and results. Furthermore the look of a friend into your food journal might help to find some points where you can still improve your nutrition.
6. An overseer
Cannot find an ally? Try an overseer who’s aware and supportive of you following holiday eating tips and being sensible this season. Your overseer, may it be a family member or your personal trainer, will detect all your little naughty eating habits. He will stop you from eating half of the cookie batter before you bake it or remind you that you already had a sample of that cheese last week. Generally not a bad idea although make sure not to deny yourself everything you enjoy.
7. Preparation is everything
To behave healthy and to be nutrition conscious is generally not a problem for most of us. However when we come home hungry there is a high chance that there is no light and healthy food around. Thus we tend to grab into the candy jar or finish the already open chocolate bar. However, to open up a candy bar takes the same amount of time as when you peal a banana. To walk down to the nearest bakery would not take much longer than to stop at the closest fruit stall to buy some apples. We suggest to plan your meals ahead or to keep a list on your weekly groceries, so you can make sure vegetables and fruits are at hand, whenever you need a quick snack.
8. Realistic goals
The holiday season is probably the toughest time of the year to start a healthier lifestyle and many of us are happy as long as they do not put on some pounds. But don’t lose sight of your goals. To enjoy some little dainties is similarly important to keep an eye on your diet. Keep in mind that a diet should not constrain you from enjoying life, which includes to participate in the food festivities of the holidays.
9. Guidance
There will be people in your surrounding that might tell that you are over doing it with your healthy lifestyle. Especially when we are at the beginning of our healthy journey this will discourage us. To find a trainings program or a personal trainer who will assist you during your first steps can help you to keep going and to ignore the negative comments.
We hope these (level) 9 tips for your diet will help you stay on track with your diet during the holidays this year. The holiday season is also a great time for a change and if you already started with a healthier lifestyle, you might consider to do your body some more good. Request a free trial for personal training or boot camp if you’re in Long Beach CA or drop us a line with your questions if you’re not close by. Don’t wait for your new year’s resolutions to work on your fitness and health goals, take action now and stay proactive.
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