Do yourself a favor and bookmark this page and refer to it the day before a big holiday party/your holiday celebration. You’ll be glad you did.
Here are step by step instructions that I suggest highly recommend you try out in order to prevent going completely overboard during the holidays. These days, it doesn’t seem to be JUST ONE DAY but several parties and company parties and friend parties and co-worker parties, etc. It can be really overwhelming! The best plan is to be cognizant everyday of what you’re eating and how much you’re moving. But if it’s a struggle for you day in and day out, the least you can do is have a plan on the days of those parties.
The Morning of:
- Rise and Shine! Set your alarm earlier than normal; even 20 minutes would be preferable
- Make a balanced breakfast: spend time alone if possible; take the time to enjoy your food and eat it slowly
- Move it: Get in one 20 minute HIIT workout at home or at the gym – Here’s a good one from Fitness Blender
- Plan your food, even if you aren’t normally a tracker: Log what you plan to eat either online or handwritten; include everything you WANT to eat today. Include the alcohol/wine or pop and the desserts too. Obviously, some guess-timation will need to be done. Always OVER estimate to be safe. Just seeing it in writing is very helpful.
- It’s Just Lunch (or dinner) : Plate your food as normal—Vegetables takes up half the dish, protein takes up a quarter of it leaving the rest of the plate for starch.
- No need to measure out your portions: By all means don’t break out your food scale today. Enjoy your food and take time to be thankful for all the good food that’s in front of you. Converse, laugh, live it up!
- Splurge Smart: Don’t waste your calories. Try something you’ve never had before, not that dessert you’ve had plenty of times or a dinner roll you can have anytime. Totally not worth it!
The Day After:
- Back in the Saddle: Get back to your normal eating plan as quickly as possible. Remember balance: Protein, Carbs and Fats. More Protein than Carbs and Fats is a good easy rule of thumb.
- Don’t Self Sabotage: If you know you indulged more than you should or your didn’t follow your written plan at all, don’t throw in the towel on the rest of the month/year. Make your next meal balanced and move on.
- Reuse and Recycle: Use the leftovers as planned meals for a few days. If it’s too tempting to cheat with leftovers in the house, give them away to someone in need. Or when offered to take home the extras, graciously decline.
Have a Healthy Happy Holiday!
