8 Tips on Balancing Festivities and Fitness Goals During the Holidays

Sugar cookies, gum drops, hot chocolate - oh my! While the holiday season is full of joy and that warm fuzzy feeling, it's also full of delicious food and plenty of sugar. If you're the type of person that stuck to their fitness and health resolution well after New Years, you may be concerned with all the temptations this season brings.

I'm here to tell you that you can still enjoy yourself while also staying on track of your goals with these simple tips and tricks.

1. Stick to Your Normal Workout Schedule

Whether you're traveling for the holidays or have family staying with you, it can be hard to follow your usual gym routine. Keeping a routine is one of the best ways to ensure consistency and success, so it's important to not give up your normal workout schedule.

If you normally workout in the morning, be sure to still set your alarm and get a sweat sesh in before your family even wakes up. If you normally workout in the evening, let your family know and block that hour of your night out.

Traveling to a different place can bring its own challenges for your workout schedule, but chances are there's a local gym close to where you're staying. Maybe someone in your family is just as dedicated to working out as you are - ask to use their guest pass to the gym! If you're staying in a hotel, you can typically use their gym facility for free.

2. Plan Out Your Meals

When you're at home, you may be used to prepping your meals for a week. Even if you're staying at a family member's, you can still plan your meals out and store them in their fridge. Although you may be going out to eat for dinner more often or joining your family at the dinner table, you can still prep your breakfast and lunch.

If you're going out to eat, think about ordering the healthier options, such as grilled chicken or fish and opt for veggies or salad instead of French fries.

3. Practice Portion Control

Let's be honest - it's not realistic to think you'll be eating completely clean during the holidays, and that's okay. You can still order a less healthy option at the restaurant or have a few Christmas cookies as long as you practice portion control. Some ways you can help keep your portions under control are:

• Use a smaller plate

• Use measuring cups

• Don't double up on carbs

• Think again before going for seconds

Instead of stuffing yourself until you feel like you'll explode, portion out your food, so you can be comfortably full. Instead of eating four Christmas cookies, have two.

This way, you can still enjoy the food everyone around you is, but you can still help yourself stay on track of your goals.

4. Use a Calorie Counting App

If you don't already track your calories, the holidays can be a good time to start. Many calorie counting apps, such as Arc7, not only track your calories, but can track your macros and water intake. Tracking what you eat is a tangible way to help keep you at your calorie goal without going over it.

Apps like these also help keep you accountable as you can see on proverbial paper what you've eaten that day and can help you from completely stuffing yourself.

5. Drink Your Water

No matter what time of year it is, it's important to stay hydrated. Drinking enough water is essential for keeping high energy levels, flushing out toxins, and helping maintain regular bodily functions. When you're off your normal routine, it can be easy to forget to fill up your water bottle or drink water in between cocktails, but this simple tip can help you stay on track.

Carry your water bottle around with you, set a timer on your phone as a reminder, or download a water app on your phone to help you remember to stay hydrated.

Also, consider drinking a bottle of water 30 minutes before eating. This easy tip can aid in digestion while also helping you feel more full, so you don't overeat.

6. Don't Miss Out on Sleep

You may be staying up later than you normally do when you're spending time with family, but don't forget to get all the Z's you need in. If you need to take an extra rest day or workout a little later in the day to make sure you're getting enough sleep, do it! You don't want to be sleep deprived (and cranky) when you're supposed to feel merry and bright.

Don't be afraid to turn in earlier than other members of the family or turn off your alarm for the next morning if you need to. When you lose sleep, you don't get it back, so it's important to prioritze it.

7. Let Yourself Indulge a Little

While practicing portion control and healthy habits are important, it's also important to let yourself live a little. Enjoy that holiday sugar cookie and go for seconds of Christmas dinner - you're allowed to! It's just as important to live a healthy lifestyle as it is to live a balanced one.

If you restrict yourself to only veggies and chicken during the holidays, you could end up binging later and really getting off track. It's better to let yourself enjoy some food you don't eat regularly than to be miserable watching everyone else enjoy it.

8. Don't Beat Yourself Up

Many people struggle with having a healthy relationship with food. Having the mentality that if you eat one Christmas cookie, you'll derail everything you've worked so hard for is unhealthy. When you do feel like indulging during the holidays, let yourself! Don't beat yourself up or make yourself feel guilty for having a few more cookies or a second serving when you said you wouldn't.

Instead, get back on track the next day. People also often think that if they've indulged too much the day before, they should limit their calories the next day. You don't need to! Eat your meals as planned and get back on track.

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