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For the longest time, the holidays would come in and absolutely destroy my waistline. My all-time high for weight gain throughout the holidays was 25lbs. TWENTY-FIVE POUNDS! It’s insane how much weight can creep up on you when you aren’t even paying attention.
After that epic #holiday25 I knew I had to look at the holidays differently. Yes, I want to celebrate with friends & family, but I don’t need to go overboard at every party or get together with the excuse of ‘well, it’s the holidays!’.
Here are a few tips & tricks I’ve learned over many holidays to keep myself in check without totally losing the fun of the season.
Wakeup & Workout
No matter what time you typically workout, during the holiday season it is best to schedule your workouts for the morning. Since parties tend to occupy our nights, working out in the morning gives us a fresh start, an energetic boost for the day, & helps to keep up on track all day long. Need a new or quick or an at-home workout? Check out my fitness board on Pinterest here!
No Starving for the Party
Eating super light or not at all during the day so you can indulge in drinks and food at a party is not a great setup. Why? You are starving & more likely to binge!
Be sure to eat well during the day and have your meals contain protein and high fiber veggies to help you stay full and satisfied all day long. That way you will be less likely to completely go wild at a party – the key is moderation during the day and at events!
Plan Ahead
If you have stopped by my blog before, you know that meal prep saves lives. I prep meals & snacks for at least the first 3 days of the week, then do a mini or followup prep on Wednesday to finish out the week. I keep to a low carb keto way of eating & like to meal prep easy recipes with five ingredients or less because I don’t want to spend the time or money on a million different ingredients. My favorite find has been the Keto in Five ebooks from Tasteaholics. All the recipes have the macros worked out & are 5 ingredients each. You can get my 7 Day Low Carb Meal Plan with these recipes here.
Drink Wisely
I’m not a big drinker, but when I’m at a party or out with friends I will indulge in a drink or two. Make sure you are drinking smarter by maxing out at only 2-3 drinks per event and keep those drinks low in sugar and carbs. I have a low carb keto alcohol post here to check out your best drink choices!
Buddy Up
An accountability buddy – someone to help you stay diet friendly in the face of parties & potlucks – is a great person to lean on during the holidays. You won’t feel left out if you aren’t the only one not gorging on drinks and chocolate and it’s just easier together.
Celebrate Everyday
And I don’t mean with a chocolate treat either. Celebrate you! Celebrate your resilience, your loose ‘fat pants’, you’re ability to not get sloshed at the holiday party and then run a 5k in the morning. Celebrate non-scale victories during the holidays as much as you would scale victories. These are no small feats, especially during those cozy, easy-to-indulge holiday moments.
