How to Have a Healthy Holiday Season

We’re in the thick of the holiday season… and if you’re anything like me, the temptation to blow off healthy habits is lurking around every corner. Well here’s my year-end commitment, so I can start off the New Year strong – and on my way to being in the best shape of my life before I turn the big 4-0 next year. Specific goals are more attainable for me, so here’s my list:

• Eat at least 6 cups of V/F every day – a stretch for me!
• Maintain 4 MRs per day
• Continue my PA routines
• Incorporate more PA with my daughter who is 8. (So far, Peighton and I have done some running, climbing in the park, walking the dogs, bowling, and even roller skating together – and I plan to add bike riding in 2013 to our list.)

I think the thing that really sets us apart at HMR is that we don’t just set goals and leave them on paper – we strive to live them out every day and share our “how-to’s.” So I thought I would share my top 5 strategies for keeping my healthy behaviors in place through the end of the year. I hope these will help you keep pushing into your stretch zone, while the rest of America is having eggnog and fruitcake!
 

1. Sooner is better with healthy behaviors. I can see a huge difference in my numbers when I start the day off with PA. I am more likely to have a double shake and fruit for breakfast, and then either another double shake or an entrée with veggies for lunch. There are lots of great recipe ideas here on the HMRdiet site (now I have to admit I like my routine recipes, but this is a great time of year to try new shake recipes). I recently made a Peppermint and White Chocolate HMR Mousse for a holiday treat I was able to share with my family!
    
2. Plan out what my day will look like (to the best of my knowledge) the night before. This includes strategies like setting out my workout clothes and planning out what my family will have for dinner. I find that it is so easy to say “yes” when my husband suggests getting take-out, so planning and setting food out makes me more likely to stick with a healthier option. (Some food for thought: calories we consume in restaurants are almost 30% higher on average than what we eat at home.)
    
3. Eat before I go shopping, to a luncheon or other event, and take MRs and V/Fs with me when I travel. These are simple-sounding strategies, but many people in America still operate with the mentality that they can save calories all day long and then eat a bigger meal at the holiday party. This doesn’t work – you can consume fewer calories by being full before you go to the holiday party or event by having MRs with V/F and, of course, PA.
    
4. Include your family in your healthy behaviors. For me this means taking an extra walk with my mom and daughter at the end of the day or jogging with my husband. It supports their healthy behaviors too and is a great way to spend time doing something fun and healthy.
    
5. Update your holiday traditions to include healthy options. I have added some favorite V/F recipes to our holiday menu, like baking my own sweet potatoes and bringing them with me to Thanksgiving dinner, and making “snowflake” green beans (a favorite of my daughter’s). These are steamed green beans with garlic powder, parmesan cheese sprinkled on top and pepper- sometimes we add a little Splenda to them to get a sweet and spicy flavor. We have also modified other holiday recipes so we can enjoy some goodies without the guilt. My daughter loves to help me in the kitchen, so it is a great way to spend time together while I teach her about healthy eating.
    

One thing I know to be true is that the scale doesn’t care what the occasion is, and if I want to live a long, healthy, enjoyable life, I have to tolerate doing these behaviors even when it’s cold outside and even when everyone else isn’t doing them – to get the result I want.

What are your favorite strategies for staying on track with your healthy behaviors? How do you stop one “bad day” (and we all have them) from turning into a bad week or month?

I’d love to hear your strategies for facing the holidays with healthy behaviors in place – after all, we’re all in this together!

 

by AshleyW on 12/19/2012 | Share Story With a Friend

tags: HMR, motivation, planning, strategies, kids, holidays