Sticking to a Healthy Holiday

Sticking with your healthy food choices in social situations can be challenging. Here are some practical tips to follow which may help you stay true to your healthy lifestyle goals during the holiday season.

Know the common challenges:

  •  Alcohol – drinking can make sticking to healthy habits challenging. If you’re try to stay away from extra calories or carbohydrates, keep your glass and your belly filled up with a calorie-free beverage. This will diminish the likelihood of reaching for the alcoholic beverages on the table.
  • Constant grazing – limit yourself to one plate of food, rather than making multiple trips to the buffet. This will help you to keep track of your calorie intake.

Communicate your wishes:

It can be difficult to stick to your way of eating, especially when others don’t follow your goals. If you’re feeling pressure to eat food you don’t want, try some of these ideas:

  • Simply say “no thank you.” Most people will accept this and move on.
  • Give a short explanation: A simple excuse such as “Your pie looks amazing, but I just can’t eat another bite.” This can help keep the situation positive, and hopefully encourage people to back off from adding continual pressure to eat more.
  • Offer an alternative: a positive statement such as, “I’m trying to avoid refined sugars, but I can’t wait to try your delicious salad” might appease the more persistent relatives or friends. 

Hopefully these tips and tricks will help you stick to a healthy end to 2018!

About the Author: Jinelle Jagoda, M.S. 

Jinelle received her undergraduate degree in Exercise Physiology at Baylor University and her Master’s Degree in Clinical Exercise Science at George Washington University. While in school, Jinelle worked as a graduate assistant in the exercise physiology lab at GWU, and taught yoga and Mat Pilates classes. She is a certified ACSM Clinical Exercise Physiologist, ACSM Group Exercise Instructor, and 200 HR Registered Yoga Teacher. In her free time, Jinelle enjoys teaching yoga classes, running, rock climbing and hiking with her husband and golden retriever. 

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