So many people dread the holidays – they’ll gain weight, they’ll overeat, they won’t have time to exercise with family visiting. I am sure you have these worries and maybe a few more. What if this holiday were different? What if you had a really good and practical holiday strategy guide?
Over the years, I have worked with many clients and athletes who find the holidays more than challenging. This year you can use my Holiday Strategy Guide:
- Eat light but do not skip meals to save for dinner. I was just saying this to a client this past week and she hadn’t thought of that. Trouble is that when you starve yourself for dinner, you are actually setting yourself up for overeating. You are so hungry, your eyes fill the plate with more than you need and you hadn’t even gotten to dessert.
So try to eat a light breakfast, and maybe just a salad with some root veggies, nuts and seeds vs a sandwich or your traditional large lunch. - If you are going to someone else’s place for dinner, offer to bring either a vegetable platter with hummus (I prefer roasted asparagus, colored carrots, yellow or orange peppers, zucchini and sugar snap peas). Or offer to bring the string beans almondine, a ceasar or other salad, or, like me, the roasted brussel sprouts! This way you are guaranteed a healthy green vegetable! And everyone else will be happy to eat your creations, too! I have some of these recipes here.
- Scope out the whole spread of what to eat. Pick your veggies first and load them onto your plate (half is ideal), then add your protein, some starch (I prefer roasted potatoes and wild rice stuffing) but no too much starch as you want to leave some room for dessert!
- Sample a sliver of the desserts you want. I have done this at many gatherings. Even if there is no sliver, I find a knife and make a sliver. Then I can sample almost all of them, enjoy them and not feel overstuffed or like I am in a sugar coma. Surprisingly, someone else is watching me cut the slivers, and is eager to take a sliver themselves. They sometimes say “What a great idea!” or “I wanted to do that but didn’t have the nerve!”. So have the nerve, and bravely cut your own slivers of desserts.
- Do the minimum exercise you need to feel like a human, athlete or your normal. For most, 30-minutes of running, walking, riding, yoga, etc is enough to curb the anxiety and improve your mood for family gatherings. Find your minimum. And because you are an athlete, while many in your family are not, you need to honor your needs, too and wake up just a wee bit earlier than them and get in that minimum training session! Or find a 5K to do with the whole family. Every bit helps! but don’t let traveling or family get in the way of your minimum need to move your body!
I could go on with a Holiday Strategy Guide, but more is not always better. You can also check out my previous lists.
If you have another you want to share, please do so – you may be helping more people with your additional ideas. So comment below if you have something that has worked for you beyond my Holiday Strategy Guide for 2023 and beyond.
Happy Holidays!
Don’t forget to check out the holiday specials, too!