How to have your Christmas cake and eat it (without piling on the pounds)
I know Christmas is going to be very strange for everyone this year. And with the constantly changing rules, regulations and tiers, it can feel tempting to bury your face in a tub of Quality Street and drink that bottle of wine. But usually this approach can make us feel worse.
It is possible to have a healthy mindset over Christmas, yet still enjoy yourself. You can have fun, yet stick to your health goals & feel energised instead of sluggish over Xmas. Yes, you are going to have more indulgences but it is still possible to keep on track. It is so easy to get carried away with the tins of celebrations lying around, the Christmas biscuit packs on the go and the mince pies being passed around. There is so much temptation in the supermarkets from really early on (October / November) so having a healthy mindset over Christmas is super important, especially given that Christmas can easily last well over a month!
If you usually throw your rule book out of the window at Christmas time and end up eating and drinking more than you’d like, then read on. If you usually end up feeling stuffed, overweight, full of sugar and feeling rubbish for gorging on food and drink when you really didn’t need or want to, then please know that this doesn’t have to be who you are forever. If you usually end up with a cold or just pure exhaustion from burning the candle at both ends (chance would be a fine thing this year!!!), but if this is usually your way, but it’s not suiting you anymore, then it’s time for a change of mindset:
Here are some tips:
Don’t sit down all day every day during your Christmas break. Schedule your workout / run / yoga into your diary. It doesn’t have to be a workout, walking / cycling / dancing / pogo sticking / trampolining with the kids is just as good.
Go easy on the booze & stay hydrated. Don’t drink too many creamy and sweet drinks or cocktails. Drink lots of water throughout the day, especially when you are drinking alcohol.
Don’t graze all day. Think before you eat. Practise mindful eating and drinking. It’s totally OK to indulge in special Christmas food, but make sure you appreciate it and really enjoy it. Savour the moment and don’t feel guilty about it. Don’t just stick your hand in the quality street tin every time you walk past without even thinking about it. Take a moment to remind yourself what Christmas is all about for you: spending time with the family, creating memories, laughing and joking, oh and the birth of Jesus.
If you are doing the cooking - intersperse the Christmas meal with some healthy options. Or make some of the usuals with a healthy twist. Or create healthy meals for you and your guests on other days of the Christmas break. A big delicious Christmas lunch is something to look forward to and enjoy and one extravagant meal will not impact your health in the long run. But eating and drinking wildly for a few weeks of every year, and then desperately depriving yourself for a few weeks after might. Be kind to your body.
Be realistic - don’t expect to lose weight, but you also shouldn’t gain weight just from having a nice time over christmas.
Get enough sleep - go to bed early and don’t eat too late.
Plan ahead. If you know a beige buffet is on the menu then ensure that the meal you have beforehand is healthy. Or if you know that you’ll be eating Christmas pudding then go easy on the miniature heros.
Make sure you include lots of veggies on your plate at every meal. Put these on first. Make rules about what you should have instead of what you shouldn’t have. Guilt is a terrible motivator and so is feeling deprived, especially around Christmas.
Get rid of the “I’ll start on Monday / next week / in the new year” etc mindset
Don’t punish yourself. If you do accidentally eat too many chocolates whilst watching the Christmas edition of Eastenders then it doesn’t matter. It’s the decisions that you make next that matter.
Christmas can be a difficult time to stick to a health plan. If you have any Qs or want any help, then please get in touch: carolinehainescoaching@gmail.com. Or book a free 45min call where we can chat: