Avoid the Holiday Weight Gain and Feel Great

Most of us think holiday weight gain is inevitable. We believe that to enjoy all the holiday foods, we have to accept this “fact.” The truth is we gain weight over the holiday season not because of the special treats we enjoy but rather the food we eat in the days between holiday celebrations. I promise you can still lose weight while enjoying all of the season's traditional foods. 

Why am I bringing up healthy food and weight gain in a series about unbusying your holiday season?

For me,  when my body feels sluggish and unhealthy, so do my mind and my attitude. It starts a vicious cycle of feeling crappy about my body, overeating to feel better, and then back to crappy thoughts and feelings. This makes me more snappy and impatient with my family and friends. It doesn’t have to be this way!  Over the course of this month, I will be giving you tips and tricks on how to incorporate small changes in your mindset that will allow you to enjoy all of the fun holiday food while still feeling like your best self. Ready for the first tip?

Plan for your busy day food.

One of the biggest traps is not planning for the inevitable busy days. We tell ourselves that we have time to make healthy foods. Then things get busy, and we default to eating unhealthy foods that are easy and available. Enter the vicious cycle of feeling unhealthy and eating to feel better. There is an easy fix—plan realistic busy day foods.

First, take out a piece of paper and write down all your go-to take-out places.  Look at their menus and pick your best food options. Now, don’t pick salads if you know that on your busy days the last thing you want to eat is a salad. Instead, pick the next best thing that will still make your body feel good, and you know you will want to eat it.  At my go-to Italian restaurant, I love their lemon chicken served with roasted cauliflower. It feels comforting and filling and stays close to my baseline food plan. While this place also has fantastic salads, I know that is not what I crave on a busy day. 

The second thing to write on this paper is a list of quick meals you can throw together. This does not and should not be crazy healthy, and complicated plans. My mantra for food planning is simple, sustainable, and kind. Some of my go-to crazy busy day meals are breakfast for dinner and BLTs. It can be as simple as scrambled eggs and whatever veggies I have lying around. Bonus, my kids get super excited for breakfast.  

Now you have a list of foods you can turn to on a busy day. An extra bonus, you don’t have to spend time and mental energy debating with yourself about what to eat. The decision is already made!