It’s a time of year that many people who watch their weight and nutrition secretly dread. Sure it’s fun and festive and full of good cheer, but the holiday season is also an assault on the habits and discipline that you’ve worked so hard to develop.
Many just give up with the hopes that they will be able to get back on track in the new year. But that’s like climbing to the top of a mountain, getting knocked back down and starting to climb the mountain all over again.
What if you could stay on track with your weight management program, or at least not lose too much ground, and not have a mountain to climb because you decided to enjoy the holiday season?
Small Steps Make a Big Difference
By practicing a few small steps, before you get caught up in holiday consumption, you will make it way easier to keep your weight management on track.
- Start Right Now.This is by far the most important step you will take to minimize the effect of the holidays on your weight and health. It’s a mistake to wait until after the holidays to correct all the damage that’s done. A few small steps right now will help you get through in much better shape.
- Prepare yourself mentally – It’s not easy, but if you get yourself ready for a few small sacrifices, they will be easier to make.
- Have reasonable expectations – Just like with weight loss, there’s no magic pill to getting through the holidays without affecting your weight management. Don’t beat yourself up if at the end of the holidays you have a lot of work to do to get back on track. What you are trying to do is difficult and you will get some benefit from everything you do, even if it doesn’t show on the weigh scale.
- Eat a few more healthy foods – Try to have an apple a day, or some carrots, or blueberries or whatever are your favourite fresh fruits and vegetables. Find some way to get a little more healthy food into your diet now. Not only will you benefit from the extra nutrients, but you’ll be a little less hungry, and tempted, at social gatherings.
- Get a little more active – We’re not talking about a formal routine or getting a gym membership here, but if you think you’ll be consuming extra calories, a little extra activity in your day will help burn them off.
- For example, don’t waste time looking for the closest parking spot at the mall, park further away and get a longer walk to the entrance – you’ll probably walk right past the people who are still driving around looking for a spot.
- Try to curb your alcohol consumption – Again, we’re not saying you need to curb your enjoyment of the season. But look at it this way: you get a double benefit when you substitute just one drink a night with water. First, you reduce your alcohol consumption, and all the calories that go with it. Second, you hydrate your body, which helps counteract the effects of the alcohol. And have you seen how sexy a glass of sparkling water looks with a wedge of lime on the rim? You can pose all night with that one!
Like we said earlier, and like your experience will tell you, maintaining your weight management in the face off all the temptations thrown at you during the holiday season is a daunting task. If you need support, advice or more tips on reducing the temptations, and their effects, your Herbal One nutritional consultant is always ready to help.