The big day is over, and the holiday season has officially begun. Even if you missed my pre-Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving Day tips for healthy eating and fitness, here are a few to help get you get back on track and ready to handle the holiday festivities to come.
The Week After Thanksgiving
Jump back on track. So maybe the week before or the day of didn’t go as you planned. Don’t let that deter you—let it ignite you to get back on your healthy program. If you start allowing yourself to fall by the wayside now, the end result will most likely not be pretty.
Go for a walk. Perhaps you are still away, or have a household of people. Put on your sneakers and get out the door. Walking is something you can do wherever you are, at any time, and while enjoying the company of others.
Refrigerator sweep. Maybe the holiday dinner was at your house, and you weren’t so successful in giving away all the food. Take a look in your fridge and note everything that you think a nutritionist would not be happy with you eating for the rest of the week—stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie. Then get rid of it, perhaps by donating it to a local soup kitchen.
Some cool looks in the stores right now!
Go shopping. And not just for healthy food. I suggest buying yourself a new outfit that you’ll want to wear for Christmas or New Year’s, as an incentive to not gain a single pound from now until then.
Plan ahead. For some of us, this could be just the beginning of many more holiday dinners and cocktail parties. Start thinking about how you are going to manage your busy schedule and stay true to your health goals. Make sure to regularly schedule exercise, even if it means hitting the gym earlier than usual. Decide which events might be splurges, versus events where you’ll be disciplined in your eating and drinking. Or decide that you might even skip a few this year.
And one last tip I should add—not only for Thanksgiving, but throughout the holiday season—is to simply be thankful. Thankful for your health, for your family and friends, and that you actually do have the choice of what you put in your mouth and when to move your body. If you focus on all the positives in your life, then it truly is possible to enjoy the holidays without gaining a pound.
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