Hi there,
This month is often filled with celebration and good times – YAY! It can also tend to leave you feeling guilty (and pretty darn tired) if you completely fall of the self-care wagon while you soak up the fun.
Do you tend to head into the New Year with a long list of resolutions to make up for letting loose over the holidays? This is such a natural pattern but with a few simple tweaks, you can easily break the cycle. I’d love for you instead to go into the New Year feeling excited and ready for a fired up 2015.
Yes! You CAN still have fun over the holidays AND keep up your self-care.
Over the past several weeks, I’ve been working with my private coaching clients to help them set, and stick, with DOABLE self-care goals through the holidays. I’m sharing my favorites with you today.
How to THRIVE through the holidays:
1. Eat during the day – you might consider skipping meals during the day to save room or calories for a big feast that night. Your points or calories might look good at the end of the day, but the stress this puts on your body actually leads to weight gain.
When you skip meals, your body’s natural response is to release stress hormones. When you then eat your big meal with these stress hormones racing through your system, your body’s natural response is to STORE the food just in case it doesn’t get any more for awhile. By eating regularly during the day, you avoid spiking your stress hormones and putting your body into “storage” mode.
Also, when you arrive at a party starving you’re so much more likely to overeat or make unhealthy choices. Eating during the day nips this issue in the bud.
2. Choose appies with protein in them – after arriving at the party with a semi-full belly (see tip #1), choose appies with protein in them like bean dips, cheese, mixed nuts (raw is best), smoked salmon or meat. These will help keep your blood sugars steady, and help you avoid over eating when it comes time for the main meal.
3. Stay hydrated – consider having a bottle of water with you throughout the day and if you’re having any cocktails, a glass of water between drinks. Extra water will help your body move out toxins and also prevent one of the major causes hangovers: dehydration.
4. Set basic goals for movement to keep up this month – you might have less time for working out or yoga classes with everything in your calendar this month, but with a little planning you can avoid falling completely out of the workout habit you love.
Take a look at your calendar for the rest of the month and plot in your workouts. Your daily activities will fill up around your exercise, rather than squeezing it out. Keeping it up over the holidays you help your body sweat and detox from the extra festivities, and the endorphins will give you a natural mood boost.
5. Celebrate in moderation (you’ll still have an amazing time!) – you don’t need to choose between being completely strict with your food/lifestyle choices OR over-indulging. You can successfully walk a middle ground if you’re intentional about it.
If sugar, alcohol, different foods or eating out are a part of this festive season, you can choose to enjoy it without overdoing it. Your own goals will be personal, but you could choose to have X number of nights without alcohol, dessert only at certain events, etc. Even better, by integrating tips #1-4 you’ll have moderation naturally built in. So good!
Take Action Now
Pick TWO of these tips and be mindful of them through the next few weeks.
Have a wonderful time!!
All the best,
x Vivian