Most people associate holidays with food. That may be a good thing or not so good thing for you. There’s an entire diet industry that makes a lot of money from people starting those New Year’s resolutions to loose weight with everything from detoxes, cleanses, to meal plans. Don’t get me wrong, some of these things are helpful if done in a healthy way. But some of these things are not and can do more damage to your health than the damage you think you’ve done by eating a few extra cookies or pie.
Before & During the Meal
DON’T workout harder before your big meal so that you can “earn” your calories.
DO front load your protein to fill more satiated. If you’re going out to your holiday meal, before you go fill up on lean proteins like yogurt, turkey, even a protein shake so that you’re less likely to graze on all the appetizers.
DO let go of calorie or macro counting for the day. Having to keep track of everything you’re eating in addition to dealing with family and your overall anxiety over this meal make your stress levels go up. If you’re not ready to let go of counting, focus on hand portion sizes and getting enough servings of fruits and vegetables. Remember, no food is a “bad” food.
DO focus on getting a balanced meal before adding the extras. Load up on those veggies! They’re filling and lower in calories. Not to mention all the vitamins & minerals!
DO ensure you’re getting enough water. Enough water will help prepare your body for proper digestion for the larger than “normal” meal you’re about to have.
DO focus on enjoying your time with family and friends rather than what to eat and what not to eat. Five years from now are you going to remember WHAT you ate or WHO you spent the holidays with?
After the Meal
Does this sound familiar? You wake up the next morning feeling bloated, heavy, angry at yourself for eating what you ate. Your first thought is to workout harder or longer today and cut your calories today. Or maybe even cut out carbs the rest of the day.
First, you’re not alone. The majority of people feel this way after a holiday. Remember all the diet industry gimmicks that are rampant this time of year?
Second, take a deep breathe and DON’T panic or beat yourself up. Did you enjoy the meal? Is this something you do every day or the majority of your week? No, this is something you probably only do a handful of times out of the year. So beating yourself because you overate on a holiday is not going to help in building you UP. There are enough things in life that can tear you down, why should you be one of those things too?
DON’T run additional miles or workout longer to “burn off” the extra pie or cake you had.
DON’T cut calories the next day to “balance” things out. “Yo-Yo” dieting has a lot of negative affects on your body. If you are in the middle of a training cycle, this can be detrimental to your performance.
DON’T start a new diet fad, cleanse, or detox. A lot, not all of them, of the widely commercialized detoxes and cleanses can have the opposite affect of what they advertise and what you think. While you might loose pounds (or water weight) initially, they can read havoc on your digestive system, your hormones, and a lot of bodily functions.
DO take that next day to start off by focusing on what choices you can make that are most healthy for you and ensure you’re giving yourself extra self care. Eat a balanced meal when you wake up – protein, carbs, & fats. Ensure you’re getting enough water. Do the normal workout or run you had scheduled & SMILE while you’re doing it. Have fun with family & friends and make some fun memories.
