Happy Friday! Somehow we are over halfway through November…seriously, how has this happened?! Christmas commercials are playing and you know the Black Friday shopping deals have been online for weeks already! I guess I can’t deny it anymore–the holiday season is on its way!
So I thought now would be a good time to update an old post and share some tips on how to stay healthy over the holidays! This can be an incredibly stressful time, for many reasons, and I know when I get stressed, my healthier habits go by the wayside. So hopefully these tips will serve as a friendly reminder.
I’m linking up with My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and Zenaida for Fit Five Friday and Coach Debbie Runs, Confessions of a Mother Runner, Mile by Mile, Runs with Pugs, and Laura Norris Running for Runners’ Roundup!
How to Stay Healthy Over the Holidays
Keep Yourself Accountable
If you have certain nutrition goals for celebrating the holidays, your friends and family can be your allies. Let them know that your goal is to eat healthier, and they can give you a nudge if they notice you grabbing another glass of egg nog (more power to you, I hate the stuff!). Maybe your actions can even encourage them to re-evaluate their habits, if only for one day!
Prepare Healthy(ier) Dishes
If you have a family that cooks the way mine does, then there is no such thing as a “healthy” dish at Thanksgiving or Christmas/Hanukkah dinner! You’ve got rich, heavy sauces, lots of butter, and pounds of sugar at every turn! So if you’re responsible for a certain dish, try making some “lighter” substitutions. At this point, my family knows I’ll have something “healthy” up my sleeve for side dishes. I usually make a roasted Brussels sprouts dish and try to make baked goods from scratch with simple ingredients. But here’s my advice based on personal experience: don’t advertise to the family that your dish is healthy…let the food “speak” for itself!
I’ve made Julie’s Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts and Cranberries a few times for the holidays and it’s a family favorite!
Fit In Some Fitness
With the busyness of the holidays, it may be hard to find time to work out, but there are so many health benefits to keeping physically active, and not just from a dieting perspective. Heading out for a walk, run, or hopping on the Peloton can also be a great stress relief, perfect for this time of year. And the great thing is that even 15 minutes can make a difference. I’ve started to get back into 15 minutes of yoga before bed, and it helps my tired muscles and helps me sleep. Find the activity that works for you and squeeze it into your schedule as best as you can! I can’t wait to run a Turkey Trot this year, it’s become a family tradition!
Keep An Eye on Portion Sizes
It’s easy to lose track of calories consumed over the holidays, especially if you’re snacking throughout the day. If you want to avoid overeating, keep your portion sizes portion-sized. For example, one serving of turkey should be about the size of a deck of cards. I like to have a little bit of everything on my plate to start, so in order to fit it all, I have to keep my portions reasonable. Surprisingly, a big calorie bomb is from beverages – soda, punch, wine, egg nog…it all adds up! I try to keep my water glass full to avoid drinking too much alcohol on the holidays.
Manage Your Stress
While physical health is one matter, it is so important to take care of your mental health as well! Shopping for gifts, preparing for family visits, and getting your menu planned can be so stressful at this time of year. Use whatever methods work for you to manage your stress, be it by meditating, watching mindless TV shows, or hitting a punching bag! It can be hard to schedule that time for yourself, but make it a priority! And sometimes you may need to isolate yourself from people and situations that are not good for your mental health over the holidays. Seek out help from a loved one or professional if you’re feeling particularly troubled or overwhelmed.
Give Yourself Grace
This is a new category for this post, and I’m almost ashamed that I didn’t include it before. Despite everything that I have said here, it is extremely important to give yourself grace over the holidays. I don’t think you should deprive yourself during the holiday season, especially when it’s often the only time of year where you get to indulge in some of your favorite dishes and treats. Macaroni and cheese is my all-time favorite! And I try not to feel guilty if I’m a little less physically active around the holidays. If you’re like me, you want to “do it all”, and social media makes it seem so easy, but it’s not! More than anything, holidays should be a celebration and a time to reflect and enjoy time with loved ones.
What do you do to stay healthy over the holiday season?
Managing your stress is a great one – always nice to have some “me time” during this busy time of year.
Absolutely, especially when everyone’s pulling you in different directions!
Love your headers! It’s such a great picture. I like your tips about eating well and managing stress. It’s so easy to fall into the heavy comfort foods as soon as it gets cold!
Thanks Coco!
I try to get a few more workouts in during the holidays with all those yummy temptations I encounter.
Yes, it definitely helps you counteract those goodies!
Good list. I’m working on fitting in some fitness by running a turkey trot before Thanksgiving dinner.
Love the header image. Very nice. Something that’s sitting on my todo list for a while.
Thanks John! Hope you enjoy your turkey trot!
I’m terrible about managing my stress, but trying to get better – it’s always a process. I tend to shy away from running and eat my feelings, so being cognizant of that is really key.
Lora over at Crazy Running Girl also recommended the Jillian Michaels’ “just three bites” idea. I kind of like that because I’m usually overwhelmed by the sheer number of dishes at Thanksgiving, and it gives me a chance to try a little of everything without loading my plate down with giant scoops. (I could easy make a meal out of dressing and mashed potatoes.)
Also, glad I’m finally leaving you a comment! I’ve been reading your blog for a while now, but I just hadn’t gotten around to saying much.
Oh, “just three bites” is a great idea, you’re absolutely right! And thanks so much for commenting, so glad you enjoy the blog! 🙂
Great tips! I brought a Brussels Sprouts dish to my family’s for Thanksgiving two years ago, and it was such a hit (even among those who said they hated Brussels Sprouts) that they ask me to bring it every year. It’s always worth bringing new, healthy recipes! Oh, and love your header!
Thanks a lot Jennifer! Brussels sprouts are the best right? I think we add a little something special to the holidays our healthy dishes, whether they can admit it or not!
Great tips, I’m big on accountability. MyFitnessPal has really helped. Your blog looks great, keep up the good work!
Thanks a lot! Yes, MyFitnessPal is a great one, I haven’t used it in ages!
Great tips! I’ll be starting Thanksgiving with a turkey trot as well, it feels great plus you get a healthy family tradition out of the deal 😉
Absolutely Amber! I wish I could get my whole family involved!
I noticed your new header right away! It’s great!!! I am going to check out yogadownloads too! What a great idea to start as the holiday season begins to ramp up! I think that’s the way to go!
Thanks Crystal! Every little bit helps right?
I like the food tips! No one has really mentioned much about that!!!
Thanks Wendy, you gotta have a game plan ready!
I love your food tips and yes, I am totally that girl. What? Not everyone likes Quinoa stuffing? UM, false. Try itttt! Booom. New fans.
Also, I’m totally looking for a turkey trot to sign up for, but will probably be on a saturday since I have to work on Thanksgiving, but I think I may run to work that day. Genius!
Mmm quinoa stuffing sounds great! I better look that one up!
Definitely important to stay accountable and add in some fitness to your holiday routine! I like to track all of my food intake to help me with this.
Great tips making your own meals is a huge help this time of year
Great tips and I LOVE THE new look 🙂 #wowlinkup
I love that you are doing a 21 day yoga challenge! Yogadownload.com is great. All good tips. I know I have to control my eating during this time of year. I still get workouts in, however if I’m not careful, my caloric intake can go way up. #wowlinkup
Thanks for sharing some great tips! Love your header! #wowlinkup
Janelle ya know I am giving IN to the temptations but knowing that I am putting in work NOW so that I do not gain as much as most. I know when I get around family I love to eat and live it up and that is exactly what I plan to do but I am putting in the work now. I love my grandmom’s mac and cheese and fried turkey….oh yes! LOL Ok I digress…great post and great tips. Know your limits and don’t get carried away. #wowlinkup
I stay healthy by only eating what I want on the actual holiday and be careful on non party days. I’m also lucky that I don’t work in an office. #wowlinkup
Yes, these are great tips. Keeping yourself accountable is a good one for me. Since I’ve announced to everyone that I’m doing yoga every day this month, I’m much less likely to skip it.
Give yourself grace- it is the holidays, after all! If you can keep from going too crazy most of the time, there’s definitely room for some indulgences. We should enjoy them without guilt!
Thanks a lot, Jenny. I joined a friend’s accountability group on FB so we’re all sharing our fitness and nutrition wins! And now that cookie season is here, I can’t wait to enjoy it without guilt!
These are great healthy living tips for the holidays and any time of the year!
Thank you, Deborah!
It’s always a good idea to try and stick to the healthier dishes.
They can be delicious too!
Those balsamic Brussel sprouts and cranberries look amazing!
I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving.
Thank you, Catrina! We had a nice holiday 🙂
These are great tips. The holidays aren’t as fraught for me as they used to be. With our kids grown and covid still in play, we don’t have that many social events, so I am able to enjoy myself without too much over-indulging.
I hope you have a great holiday season. I bet it will be so fun with your daughter!
Thanks so much, Coco! My perspective has changed so much since I originally wrote this post – now I’m married with a child! I hope you have a great holiday!
I don’t get too stressed out by the holidays – or should I say not stressed out more than usual? It was definitely much more stressful when the kids were small and we had so much more running around to do.
That’s good! Now that I have a little one, things are a little bit more stressful haha!
I think grace is key. It’s crazy busy & most people’s stress levels are elevated…it’s best to let some things go that aren’t necessary:-)
Absolutely! The perfectionist in me can make things get out of hand at times, so it’s important to check in and let some things go!
These are great reminders. I definitely indulge a bit more around the holidays but I also keep up with my workouts. Over the past 2 years its been much easier to stick with my regular lifestyle around the holidays since I haven’t been traveling or going to events or anything like that.
Thanks, Lisa! It’s true, the parties have been kept to a minimum – the office parties were always the biggest temptations lol!
All great tips! I especially appreciate “give yourself some grace” – I think people can be especially hard on themselves at this time of year.
Absolutely – this was the biggest modification I made to the post, I can’t believe I forgot it!