That time of year is fast approaching us once again- the holiday season! Thanksgiving and Christmas are a few of my favorite holidays to celebrate and spend time with my family, especially after being away at school for months at a time. As joyous as this sounds, many of us, including myself, cannot help but stress about the amount of deliciously unhealthy food that awaits us at every Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas party. This may come with thoughts like, “I am not going to be able to fit into my jeans after New Years” or “I am going to gain so much weight eating all these sugar cookies frosted in the shape of Santa Claus.” I am here to tell you that it is perfectly okay and normal to feel this way. I am also here to give you advice that has helped me fix my relationship with food during the holidays. Here is my guide to balancing the extra holiday food with the busy life you are already living!
BALANCE: Thanksgiving and Christmas come around once a year, and I spent many years restricting the foods I could and could not eat during holiday festivities. Once I realized how unnecessary this was and how unhappy I was by not being able to fully enjoy all the delicious food on the table, I stopped keeping myself from foods I actually wanted. I found that balance was key. To me, remembering that it’s okay to have everything in moderation made it so that I could enjoy all the foods made for the Holidays. I worked on not overfilling my plate to the point of getting sick, not regretting what I had eaten, and not thinking about the 10 pounds I was going to gain the following morning (which is an over exaggeration as I have not ever gained 10 pounds overnight).
HYDRATE: This is the most important piece of advice I can offer anyone this upcoming holiday season. Since my family travels out of state for the holidays, I often forget about drinking enough water and staying hydrated, which often makes me feel sick (especially after all the salty food I eat). Staying hydrated and bringing a reusable water bottle with me has changed the holidays for me as I am hydrating my body and enjoying yummy food at the same time. Staying hydrated also helps your body stay healthy and keeps you from feeling under the weather, so make sure you HYDRATE!
SELF CARE: Amidst the chaos and busyness between Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, it is important to take some time for yourself! Take a step back from everything going on, take a deep breath, and do something you love to do for YOU! This can be interpreted in any way you see it. For me, I love working out, going for walks with my dog, and having Christmas movie nights with my friends! This time of year is hectic for everyone, so do not stress about everything that needs to get done or what you should and shouldn’t eat! These are the HOLIDAYS. Enjoy them while they are here, and while you are near those who love you! They will pass you by before you realize, and you are going to wish you were not stressing about whether to eat the salad or macaroni and cheese at dinner and focusing more on being in the present with your family and enjoying each other’s company.
ENJOY: Enjoy the holidays when they are here, and do not worry about the foods you are eating during this time! We are all overindulging in Grandma’s famous stuffing and Uncle Joe’s hot apple pie, and that is okay!! After the holidays are over, we all get back into our crazy routines and get to do it all over again next November. So take a rest, eat a pumpkin pie (or 3, no one is judging you, I promise), and enjoy the time with your friends and family while the season is here. Before you know it, it will be January first and time to start your New Year’s resolutions. By then, you will be missing Christmas morning and drinking that huge glass of eggnog you didn’t restrict yourself of.