By RMHP
Should I Diet During the Holidays?
Why You Should Consider Ditching the Holiday Diet
When it comes to nutrition advice, there's a big focus on avoiding too many indulgences and dieting over the holidays. But what if you could have your pumpkin pie and eat it too?
A healthy lifestyle includes balance, and you have to decide what that balance looks like. Here are some reasons you should consider cutting yourself some slack on that diet during the holidays.
The winter holidays are a special time of year
If you’re like many people throughout the country, the winter holidays hold a special place in your heart, no matter how or what you celebrate.
Food is often a huge part of these celebrations, with friends and family members coming together to share their favorite recipes and catch up. It’d be a shame to feel like you’re missing out on the festivities because of a fear of weight gain.
If you’re smart about your food choices there’s no reason you can’t enjoy the holidays, the food, and your health.
A few days of unhealthy eating won’t derail your diet
TIME Magazine reports 3 out of 5 experts agree that a few days of unhealthy eating and plenty of treats won’t completely ruin your healthy eating ambitions.... Though there are some caveats to that advice. Excess calories are excess calories, after all.
The three experts who agreed stated that it’s best to prioritize based on your favorite foods, that way you’re eating the sinful foods you really love, and not just absentmindedly stuffing your face.
Make exercise a priority during the holidays
If you want to stay healthy throughout the holiday season while enjoying your favorite foods and a lack of weight gain, getting enough exercise is going to be crucial.
It’s not uncommon to lose sight of your fitness goals during the winter as motivation wanes, so why not try switching your routine up? If you need some winter exercise inspiration these posts are sure to motivate:
Staying Active in Fall and Winter
Keeping Your Kids Active During the Winter Months (you’ll stay active, too!)
Winter Running in Colorado: Essential Exercises and Workouts
Fall and Winter Cross-Training: Stay in Shape During the Off-Season
Enjoying the holidays, and eating what you want, might reduce stress
Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center, advocates eating what you want within reason. He hypothesizes that
eating what we want gives us pleasure, and pleasure equals a
reduction in stress.
Dr. Katz also emphasizes eating healthy throughout the year, “Focus on eating wholesome foods in sensible combinations every day—and then you will find that eating what you want on a holiday does not involve debauchery … You will love foods that love you back.”
After all, the holidays can be a stressful time of year, and there’s no harm in doing what you can to alleviate some of that stress.
