The holidays are a time for indulging, but you might wonder once you've gotten started how you will stop. The five tips below can all help you get back on track if too much rich food and other indulgences have put your diet plan in jeopardy.
Eat on schedule
Holiday snacking and big meals served mid-afternoon can all contribute to losing track of the good health habits you've been working on. Make sure that you start eating your meals at regular intervals again with healthy snacks built in as needed.
Drink water
The holidays are ripe for overindulgence in eggnog, sugar-laden punches, alcohol and other unhealthy beverages. Get back into the habit of staying healthily hydrated by drinking water regularly again. Add a sliver of lemon, lime or cucumber if it tastes too plain.
Get rid of temptation
If your house is still stocked with holiday treats and leftovers, it's time to get rid of them. Take them to work, give them to a neighbor or throw them out, and put healthy food back in their place. If it isn't there, you can't be tempted by it.
Don't be discouraged by holiday weight gain
A big diet derail can occur if you feel as though there's no point in trying to reset your healthy habits just because you've been indulgent. Whether it's one meal, one day or several weeks of unhealthy eating, you don't have to throw your hands up in despair. Just shift back to your old healthy habits and you'll start to see results.
Rethink your diet
This can actually be a great time to do a reset of some of your habits. You might want to look into signing up for a meal planning service, doing more cooking and freezing of food on weekends or cutting back on your restaurant meals in the year ahead.
The holidays can be a tough time for healthy eating. However, you can follow the above steps to shift to a healthier mindset and better habits no matter how indulgent you've been.
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