You’ve been good – drinking water, following the diet, exercising regularly. All is great; the body is changing, looking pretty and healthy. But now Christmas is coming and you wonder…
Do I really need to skip my favorite meals? The ones I’m eating just once a year?
Or should I suggest that this year Christmas is all about salads and juices?
I’m all about healthy food choices and active lifestyle, and I will recommend this to you and your family all the time. And what I tell you now may surprise you…
I do believe that there is absolutely no need to stress about eating over Christmas period.
Why? Because it’s just a few days. Even if you go for a few cheat meals here and there, it won’t make a massive difference to you.
If for most of the year you chose good food combined with physical activity, you will be fine. What you are doing most of the time, your daily habits, daily choices – that’s what matters.
Check out the tips below and enjoy amazing food this Christmas:
1. Do Not Starve Yourself Before Christmas
You decided to eat almost nothing before Christmas to be able to eat it ALL over the festive period, right? Don’t do that; it’s not healthy. You will feel sluggish, hungry and you will want to eat everything that’s on the table, as you deserved it, right? No. Eat as healthy as usual and don’t panic. You will have that favorite treat over the weekend.
2. Do Not Plan to Go on a Diet After Christmas
If you do, you may feel that you need to eat it all now because after holidays you will just sip a veggie juice. So, you may choose rubbish food, consume tons of calories and that is another recipe for a disaster. Even if you have some less healthy choices over Christmas, just come back to your normal routine afterwards and stick to it. Plain and simple.
3. Do Not Prepare Food for The Whole Army
I don’t know about you, but in my family, we always have so much food that we could feed the whole village, easily… So, Christmas is gone, and we are still eating that food afterwards. Prepare only as much as you need to for Christmas and in the amount, you would normally eat. In your standard week, you don’t eat 3-course meals few times a day, right?
4. Enjoyyyy Your Favourite Food, And Yes, Eat That Cake
Come on; you can taste that cake. You don’t need to eat all the food that’s on the table, skip the ones you were always eating only because your grandma wanted you to. However, if you have your favorite Christmas taste, something you most likely eat once or twice a year, have it, enjoy and indulge in it.
5. Drink That Wine If You Want To
Even though alcohol is a drink, not a real food, the number of calories it has is quite astonishing. However, if you really feel like it, yes, you can have that glass of wine or two. Remember to drink plenty of water too. Your head will thank you for the following morning.
6. Do Not Punish Yourself
When Christmas is over, there is no need to punish yourself for all the amazing food you just ate. Your body really wasn’t ruined over the last few days especially when you were mindful of portion sizes. Don’t think about it, go back to your daily healthy habits and carry on as usual. Be good to yourself.
7. Do Not Sit by The Table Day in Day Out
In our culture, it’s quite common to be sitting by the table for the whole party. The food is within arm’s reach, so we are likely to eat more. Change this. Eat that main meal and walk away from the table. Your digestive system will be grateful, trust me.
8. Stop When You Are Full
Eat whatever you feel like eating but stop when you feel full. Eat slowly, take breaks, drink water. Food is there to be enjoyed, not to make you not able to breath.
9. Move as Often as You Can
Move at the party, go for a family walk after dinner. Run in the morning, do some exercises in the evening. You will feel much better with more energy and more room for some other great food the following day.
10. Have Fun with Your Loved Ones
Christmas is time to be with your family, your friends, your loved ones. Very often it’s time when you see people who you haven’t seen for a long time. Spend some quality time with them. Bake cookies, decorate them, sing Christmas carols together. Listen, talk, share your dreams and plans, inspire each other, be there for each other. And have fun – it’s festive celebration for all of you.
Have a wonderful Christmas everyone. Merry Christmas.
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