By Alexandra Paul
– Keep to your regular exercise routine! Don’t let holiday festivities derail your workouts. Schedule them in your calendar and if you are visiting family make sure you tell everyone ahead of time when you are not available so there is no miscommunication. Maybe others will want to join you! Walks are great ways to spend quality time with relatives you have not seen in a while.
– Don’t go to a party starving. When your blood sugar is low, this impairs your impulse control. Eat a little bit so you are not starving when you arrive. And remember…
– Holidays are about people, not about food. We often forget this and it is probably the key to not overindulging. Try paying more attention to the people at the party than you do the food and get your nourishment from the personal interaction. If you go to the party with the intention to have quality conversations instead of anticipating the food you are going to eat, you will eat less and have more fun.
– Decide beforehand what you are going to eat at a holiday dinner. Set boundaries and keep to them. I stick to eating just the vegetables, but maybe you want to try a bit of everything. In that case, make sure it is a little bit of everything, or pledge not to go back for seconds.
– Avoid those office treats. There are always goodies around the office at holidays and eating them throughout the workday means by 5pm you have ingested way too many empty, unhealthy calories. There are several ways to help yourself here: bring your own snacks to work so you don’t feel deprived (make sure they are yummy but healthier and not as alluring), avoid the kitchen area completely so you are not tempted, or set firm boundaries beforehand on how much you are going to eat (one being the operative word).
– See #1 again. It bears repeating: do not chuck your healthy routines to the wind just because it is the holiday season. Continue your workouts and your healthy eating routines, with just occasional indulgences along the way.
Alexandra Paul is best known for her acting role in the TV series “Baywatch.” Alexandra is now a certified Health and Wellness Coach (AlexandraCoaching.com), who coaches privately and in groups to improve the lives of anyone trying to eat better, lose weight, and stay fit with a busy schedule.
