Thanksgiving and Christmas are my favorite time of the year, I love the weather, getting to spend time with family, holiday parties, and FOOD so much tasty food! Especially desserts I have the biggest sweet tooth when it comes to baked goods. That makes the holidays especially hard for me to stay on track, there is good food EVERYWHERE and of course most of the time it's homemade baked goods. During the holidays it's easy to get into the mindset of “It's that one time of the year where I can eat whatever I want.” We have all been there and after the sugar high of the holidays wears off and January comes around we are left with tighter pants and guilt. Yes it is perfectly fine to indulge during the holidays and eat things that you normally wouldn’t but don’t let it be an excuse to throw your goals out the window. One of the main things that helps me, is being aware and not mindlessly eating. Outside of the gym I am also a hairstylist and at the salon our guests are always bringing in sweets and treats (ALL YEAR LONG) but especially during the holidays. It used to be really hard for me to not eat what they brought in or I would feel guilty, like I was being rude by not eating it. Sometimes I would find myself eating something that I didn’t even particularly like it was just there so I ate it. Now I always try to ask myself a few questions: “Is this something I would eat if I was at home?” “Is this something I would choose to go out and buy to eat?”and“How will this affect my short/long term goals?”Just eating because something's there is a great example of mindlessly eating, by being aware of what you're are about to eat and asking yourself a few questions can help prevent that. Also remembering that your goals our YOUR goals. What you decide to eat is entirely up to you, don’t ever let someone make you feel guilty for not eating something. That being said don’t ever feel guilty for eating something that you DO want to eat. If Susan made her famous cookies and you want a cookie then guess what? Eat the cookie! But then move on, don’t let a not ideal food dictate your whole day.Here are some more tips to help you stay on track this holiday season:SLOW down when eating! I’m sure you’ve had that moment when you get done eating and literally ask yourself “What just happened?” Our brain is 15 minutes behind our belly.Offer to bring a healthy dish with you. Check out https://healthystepsnutrition.com/healthy-recipes/ for some recipe ideas.Don’t go to a holiday party hungry. Also make sure to plan ahead and bring lunch and snacks with you to work. The moment of weakness comes when you are hungry!-Load up on the raw veggies.-Don’t stand near the food tables.-Carry water with you at all times.Schedule time to Sweat! It’s extra important to make time for the gym when we are going out to eat and having a few more treats than normal. Of course, you can’t out-exercise a bad diet but this could help you stay on the right track. -Plan ahead! If you know you have a holiday party on Friday night, get in the gym Monday- Thursday or try to go in the morning on Friday.-Coach PaytonPayton@Warriorcfm.com
