The holiday season, while a time for joy + celebration, often also goes hand in hand with overindulgence, disrupted routines, and anxiety around health + fitness goals. I’m here to tell you that it’s 100% possible to immerse yourself in the festive cheer while also maintaining balance and a mindful approach to the holidays. Let’s talk about some effective strategies to help you navigate this holiday season.

1. Be realistic + practical.

   Begin by setting realistic + achievable goals for the holiday season and understand that right now might not be the best time to aim for significant changes like weight loss or muscle gain. Instead, focus on maintaining your current fitness level and continuing to establish + uphold healthy, balanced habits like sleep, hydration, mindset work, daily movement, and fueling your body with nutritious foods.
   
   By setting impractical or unrealistic schedules or goals for this particular time of the year, you are setting yourself up for failure, disappointment, and possible resentment/burnout. Choose to focus on maintaining the work you’ve put in throughout the year instead of running yourself into the ground trying to make a drastic change in the next 4-6 weeks. Don’t risk an unhealthy relationship with food or exercise, your mental health, and your enjoyment of the holiday season by setting extreme expectations.
   

2. Plan your workouts!

   Create a workout schedule that fits into your holiday commitments. Physically write down or schedule in your phone the days + times that you plan to workout and honor those appointments with yourself like you would a doctor’s appointment or work meeting. If you can’t find time to get your normal workout in, schedule something anyways. A walk outside, a yoga class with a friend you haven’t seen in a while, a shortened workout — something is always better than nothing and you’ll still feel accomplished and confident just by honoring your promises to yourself, even if you can only manage 15 minutes!

3. Control what you can control.

   With travel, holiday parties, and constant holiday treats everywhere you look, it can be easy to let yourself feel overwhelmed and out of control; however, there is a LOT that you CAN control. You CAN control your water intake and making sure you stay properly hydrated. You CAN say no to an alcoholic beverage every now and then. You CAN find 20 minutes in your day to get outside and go for a quick walk to get your body moving and get some steps in. You CAN make every effort to fill your plate with whatever protein is available at holiday parties. If you’re hosting or contributing to holiday means, you CAN prepare nutritious dishes that incorporate colorful fruits and vegetables and opt for lean protein sources and whole grains. You CAN prioritize sleep and aim for at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Quality sleep enhances your ability to make healthy choices and contributes to overall physical and mental well-being. There are so many seemingly small, underrated daily consistencies that you are in control of that make a big difference in your health + fitness goals. Instead of dwelling on what’s beyond your control, set a goal for yourself to focus on these little factors that lead to big change.

4. Indulge smartly.

   Holiday treats can be a stressor for many people who’ve worked hard to build healthy nutritional habits. Rather than avoiding delicious holiday treats and festive meals altogether, make conscious decisions about what you indulge in. Here are some approaches to consider…
   

   —Indulge when it is meaningful to the holiday. What does that mean? That means opt for a special dessert or a unique holiday drink at a party instead of mindlessly eating other, not so unique, party foods like candy or pretzels and nonseasonal drinks like White Claws or beer. In other words, try to stick to things that usually aren’t available any other time of the year to avoid feeling like you’re overindulging.

   
   —It’s a bit harder to control this time of year, because we are often gifted treats from friends, work, etc. but as much as you can, think about keeping tempting foods out of the house for the next 6 weeks. If you usually buy a pack of Oreos to keep on hand for those sweet tooth cravings but you know you’re going to have various holiday treats around the house, opt for no Oreos this month! That way, you’re still able to indulge, but you don’t have the extra stuff laying around. You can’t control what other people bring to work or to parties, but you CAN control what you bring into your house.
   

   —Whenever you don’t have special events or occasions, stick to nutrient dense meals! Weeknight dinners or lunches at work are opportunities to pack in nutritious protein, carbs, and fats. That way, when you’re at a party, you don’t have to feel as stressed when you want to indulge because you’ve already fueled your body properly!
   

   —Similar to my point above, focus more on what you can ADD to your diet instead of what you should RESTRICT or take away. Prioritize vegetables, fruits, and other high volume foods. Try to get some form of protein in for every meal! Be conscious of how much water you’re drinking and make sure you’re staying hydrated. Proper hydration supports digestion and helps control appetite. You will likely have a few holiday desserts — I hope you do — but you’ll know that you’re also eating nutrient dense foods to meet your nutrition needs and support your goals.

Prioritizing health + fitness during the holiday season doesn’t mean missing out on the festivities. By setting realistic goals, planning your workouts, controlling your controllables, and practicing mindful indulgences, you can absolutely strike a balance between enjoying the season and taking care of your well-being. The key is moderation, mindfulness, and a commitment to yourself and maintaining a healthy lifestyle throughout the holidays and beyond.

The holidays absolutely FLY by and will be over in a matter of weeks, after which our lives and routines will go back to normal. Instead of worrying about what you eat between Thanksgiving and New Years, focus on being mindful about what you eat in the days, weeks, and months between New Year and Christmas. If you can build up that consistency, a few weeks around the holidays shouldn’t make an impact on your overall year.

I am wishing you all a healthy + joyous holiday season and a happy New Year! As we move into a new year, stay tuned for more tips + information to help set you up for success wherever you are in your fitness journey!