9 Healthy Holiday Eating Tips

 

Holiday Eating tipsWould you like to enjoy the holidays with some good food and drink and not have tighter pants in January?

Here’s 9 Healthy Holiday Eating Tips to help

The holidays are here, and that means rounds of parties and dinners. While it’s an excellent time to get-together with family and friends, it can be a real threat to our diets. Rather than giving up holiday get-togethers or giving in to decadent fare and regretting it later try managing the holidays with these healthy holiday eating tips and creative strategies.

9 Healthy Holiday Eating Tips

1  Adjust your goals

If you have been on a weight loss plan, the holidays are a great time to look at your weekly goal and determine if they’re still appropriate. It might be a chance to adjust your goals. A few extra weeks to get to your ideal weight or fitness level isn’t going to kill you.

If you’re not currently on a weight loss plan think about what you want to weigh in January. Depending on where you are you might just want to maintain or even put on a pound or two. Just remember it’s not always easy to get the weight off and a pound or two at the holidays may not sound like a lot, but it adds up over a few years.

2.  Pre-plan

I use Sundays to organize and plan my week. When am I working, playing, exercising, socializing, you get the picture. Then I write it all down. If it doesn’t get on my calendar, it’s easy for me to forget about it.

3.  Before you Go

If it’s a house party, I usually ask if I can bring something. Most times the hostess is happy for the help! One of my favorite tasty side dishes is White Bean Hummus. In addition to being delicious and full of protein, it can be served with fresh veggies making it very filling.

If it’s a restaurant or banquet, I ask the planner or call ahead about the menu. With all the food allergies and preferences these days most restaurants and caterers can easily accommodate special dietary needs.

4.  Liquid Calories

My rule of thumb throughout the year is to eat my calories instead of drinking them, but it’s especially relevant during the holidays. Liquid calories from tempting holiday drinks or alcohol are usually empty sugary calories and tend to add up fast. That doesn’t mean you have to skip it all together that just means be wise. If you are treating yourself to a Peppermint Mocha how about 1/2 the pumps? Thank you, Starbucks for this quick guide on cutting calories and holiday drinks with less than 160 calories

A couple of glasses of wine? Cut your alcohol calories in half by alternating drinks between alcohol and sparkling water.

5.  Skip the Appetizers

Appetizers are often fried and can be calories bombs, and perhaps it’s best to walk past these. If you just can’t make it past the cheese tray, take ONE very SMALL plate and don’t go back for seconds.

6.  Limit your Choices

Ever go to a buffet, grab a plate and before you are half way through it’s piled so high you know you won’t eat it but still haven’t gotten to all the things you would like to try? Me too!! If you just scope out the buffet first, you will most likely automatically limit some choices in favor of others. Furthermore, think about adding color to your plate. Vegetables are great alternatives but be cautious of creamy or sugary sauces.

7.  Office Goodies

This has always been my downfall. Treats flowing in from vendors and homemade treats from colleagues can be hard to pass up and quick to add up. My thought is out of site out of mind. If they were on my desk, I was doomed to eat them. If I wasn’t thinking about them, I could pass them up!

Do you generally give food as holiday gifts? How about some homemade bath salts to take away the stresses?

8.  Exercise

It might be hard to stick to your regular workout routine but how about throwing in a few walks? Get outside over lunch or take a stroll with a loved one. It releases stress and burns a few calories!

9.  Eliminate Guilt

If you do over indulge don’t beat yourself up! One of my favorite sayings is “If I talked to you the way you talk to yourself would we still be friends?” If the answer is no, stop it!

Bonus Holiday Eating Tip!!!!

Many people hate the holidays, and I get it. The stress, lack of routine, over indulgence, family, etc. there can be a thousand reasons. I can’t change the time of year. However, I can change my mind. Whenever I adopt an ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE, count my blessing and count all the things I am grateful for I feel differently.

Super Duper Bonus VIDEO

Check out this FBlive post where I give strategies on how to apply the 9 Healthy Holiday Eating Tips!

9 Holiday Healthy Eating Tips

Posted by Cathy Jo Johnson on Monday, November 21, 2016

Applying these healthy holiday eating tips will keep your clothes fitting perfectly and most of all a smile on your face when you look in the mirror in 2017!

IF this was helpful, feel free to share!

cj "cathy jo" johnson

 

 

 

 

CJ Johnson’s Fitness Transformation Blog
Train Smart · Live Bold · Age Well

Email: CJ@agewellwithcj.com
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