Hello there! We have just entered a season of pumpkin spice latte, pecan pie, pumpkin bread and I haven’t ever started with Thanksgiving menu. This is that time of the year when everyone can easily put on weight: vegetarian, vegans or meat lover, sweet and savory tooth. There’s a treat for each and every one of us!
So, whether you want to avoid the feeling of heaviness in the stomach, don’t want to gain weight, or try to stay fit around the holidays, this post is for you!
Think ahead and make a plan:
Remember that time of the year when everyone thinks long and hard before coming up with New Year Resolutions? I am sure that at most of us add “Eat healthier” or “Exercise more” to the list after we make sure we had enough chocolate mint mochas and pumpkin/pecan pie to make it until next year. What if you just start now by taking it easy on fats and sugar around holidays? I bet it would be easier to eat healthier in New Year.
Cook at home
By preparing meals at home you control the amount of fat and sugar, and make sure you have quality ingredients in your meals. There is a tremendous difference in calories between homemade pie and the one you get at a grocery store.
Also, last year I started making my own cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving just because I love cranberries so much this time of the year, and preserved, pasteurized, processed food doesn’t feel something I would like to treat my Family with.
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Eat Out
I know that I may sound crazy now: holidays are all about eating at home and get the family together. And I remember the times when we used to spend so much time preparing holiday meals for the family. The benefits of having meal out on Thanksgiving/Christmas: you enjoy spending time with each other instead of spending time in the kitchen AND you don’t have an enormous amount of calories to consume the week after the holiday!
Eat what you really like
This is just about time to be selective about your food. Treat yourself to your favorite dish, you don’t have to eat everything you see. This is a holiday meal, not our last meal
Work out – Thank your body, not your stomach.
Your body’s been serving you good, it’s time to thank it.
This is probably the best way to stay out of trouble during holidays: to stay active, walk more and exercise on a regular basis. I could have ten apps to count calories and yet I would not do it at least on Thanksgiving and Christmas (my bad). I’d rather stick to my workout routine, walk more and drink more water, than worry about every bite of food I take.
Plan ahead and write it down
I don’t like planning (unless it’s about a trip haha), but I always do it during holidays. It helps to stay organized without getting overwhelmed this time of the year. I would suggest to write everything down as well and put the reminders like “drink more water” so that you won’t forget about it. It’s easier than you think.
Stay active, and enjoy time with family!
Walk your dog, go for a morning run with a family, enjoy outdoor activities, play some games etc. The point is for everyone to have fun, be happy and healthy, right? Make it happen by doing something new this year!
XX,
Gena
