Despite my disdain for cold weather, the holidays are one of my favourite times of the year… That being said, it can be one of the most stressful times of the year if you’re trying to get into shape, or even just maintain a healthy lifestyle. Temptation is all around in the form of pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes and reduced gym hours. For many people, while they go into the holiday season with good intentions to be healthy, after a few small indulgences they reach the point of no return where they give up on their healthy aspirations for the year and decide to start fresh in January instead.
This “Holiday Downward Spiral”, as I like to call it, is usually caused by an all-or-nothing attitude- You think that you need to be 100% healthy, and as soon as you make one slip up you feel like a failure and conclude there’s no point in trying anymore. That, in combination with feeling like our dietary decisions are out of our control (especially true if you are visiting family), makes this time of year one of the hardest to navigate.
Here are 6 strategies to successfully navigate the holidays without throwing your health goals out the window: