Christmas is almost here and it’s time to take a little break to be with my family, so I hope you all enjoy a wonderful holiday season.

But before I do, here are some top tips to enjoy this festive season to enjoy some delicious foods but not totally derail your physique & health! 

Handling The Holiday Season

Planning ahead of time and getting clear on your plan of action will help keep you on track with your goals without waking with the hangover from hell & feeling like cr*p. 

Don’t let yourself starve

Eat regular meals. This may seem counter intuitive for a lot of people especially those who practice extreme diets but starving yourself actually does more harm than good in the long run! It’s even worse if you choose to starve yourself the day before a holiday event. Just imagine starving the day before then being presented with a gorgeous feast right in front of you.

Naturally, you’ll lose your self-control and end up eating more than you would have if only you were not starving!

Plan your course

Since you cannot avoid eating at special events anyway, the next best thing you can do is to at least plan the course of your meal for the night. Ask yourself the following:

What dishes would I like to try?

Will you order a dessert or split one with

a friend/partner?

What drink shall I take and how many glasses?

Having a plan for the course of your meal makes sure that you have a guide instead of blindly taking every food that you see on the table. This not only helps you be more prudent in your choices but minimizes food waste as well!

Plan your drinks

Alcohol like vodka, gin, and spirits tend to have fewer calories and will wreak less havoc on your waistline.

Try to avoid the cocktails! An innocent mojito can set you back 250+ calories, or a pina colada 600+ cals which is basically the equivalent of a meal! 

Wine is a nice middle ground but obviously, that depends on the size of the wine glasses!

Avoid snacks

Being in a party or social event for the holidays, it might be tempting to stick to snacks only. After all, they’re just bite-sized pieces, right? There’s no way they can make me gain weight, right? Stick to your 3-4 regular meals and you´ll be less likely to hit on the quality streets!

Protein is the key

We already talked about planning your course for the meals you will have at these events for the holiday so you may walk out victorious and stress-free from gaining weight. Now, another way you can make your planning smarter is by sorting out proteins.

This can come from a variety of food such as meat, fish, and even some vegetables! Eating more protein can make you feel “full” for longer as they are slower to digest. Hence, if you want to teat delicious meals, try to stick to protein.

Enjoy…moderately

The best tactic is to take a more moderate approach. Enjoy yourself, relax, eat the foods that you don’t normally eat at any other time of year, but eat to the point of satiety. Next meal, back to how you would normally eat.

Remember, if you still want more, later on, you can always go back for leftovers.

Get moving!

Depending on how busy things get with family and obligations, or where you are over the festive season going to the gym or getting a workout in isn’t always an option. BUT…

Walking is brilliant because it keeps you active and is something you can do anywhere. 

Aim for 12-15k steps over the holidays.  Bring the kids out and make it a family affair. 

Keep your healthy habits

Remember that when it comes to your goals, consistency is also the key! It doesn’t matter if you run a triathlon today if you’re just going to gorge on food for the rest of the month. What matters more is your commitment to sticking to these healthy habits whether there’s a festive occasion or not.

By being consistent, you also enable yourself to be more mindful of your actions every day. With consistency, you will also find that following up on these habits becomes easier as time goes by. When you are very clear on what your values are, whether it’s fat loss, health, or more energy, any choices you´re faced with making will immediately become easier. 

Remember. MOST IMPORTANT

Consistency – long-term habits and progress are what matter the most. 

Wishing you, no matter what it is you’re doing, a Merry Christmas. I really hope you enjoy the festive period in whatever way you choose to, in whatever way you’re able to, and I look forward to chatting to you again on the other side. 

The best of wishes for you, your friends, and family from me.

And as always, thanks for reading,

Louise