Navigating the Festive Period
Published 2023-12-01 by Louise Moorey
Share |
The holiday season is a time of joy, connection, and yes, delicious treats. But fear not! You can still work towards your goals while savouring the festivities.
Here’s your survival guide for the festive period:
Define Your Priorities
Before the festivities kick in, reflect on your goals and values. Decide how important your goals are during this period. Plan ahead, make allowances, (or don’t if that’s where you feel your values lie) and be at. Having a plan will keep you in control and aligned with your values.
Let’s say you have 5 meals out coming up over December. If you eat 3 meals every day until the end of December, that’s 5 meals out of 155 that you might eat more than usual, not a huge deal in the long term. You don’t have to write off the whole month.
Choose indulgences
If you want to make progress towards your fat loss goal maybe saying yes to everything won’t be the best decision. That doesn’t mean saying no to everything it could look like this:
Choose two method - pick two from starter, main, desert and alcohol and stick to it Instead of higher calorie drinks like cocktails switch to a couple of glasses of Prosecco or gin and slimline tonic
Alcohol awareness
Mindful drinking is crucial. Set a limit before heading out and consider lower-calorie options. Switching to slimline tonics and diet mixers can significantly cut down on unnecessary calories. Know the caloric content of your drinks and make informed choices.
Examples:
- Single measure of gin (25ml) with diet mixer = 54 calories
- A single measure of gin with a mixer or fruit juice = 108 calories
- Medium glass (175ml) wine = 159 calories
- Small bottle (330ml) beer = 142 calories
- Pint of cider = 216 calories
- Single glass champagne (125ml) = 89 calories
Calorie Banking
If you’re tracking calories, consider “banking” some for events. Reduce your daily intake by 100-200 calories leading up to the occasion. This allows you to enjoy the festivities without derailing your progress. Example:
For example: Let’s say you have a meal out on Saturday, and your daily calorie target is 1800. Monday to Friday you reduce your calories to 1600-1700 per day. This will give you an extra 500-1000 calories to play with on Saturday. I wouldn’t recommend cutting more than 100-200 calories because over-restricting might lead to overeating and undoing all your work.
Change Your Mindset
Shift your focus from just the food to the entire event experience. These occasions are about connecting with family and friends and joy. Enjoy the food without overindulging, savour the company, and recognise that most of the enjoyment comes from the experience itself.
Leave Guilt Behind
If you deviate from your plan, don’t panic. Be kind to yourself. Slip-ups happen, but they don’t define your journey. Avoid the slippery slope of guilt and self-sabotage. Remember, you haven’t failed until you give up entirely. Don’t punish yourself with extra cardio and overrestriction, draw a line, refocus, and get back to your plan.
I am not saying you can’t have a couple of times during the festive period where you don’t worry about tracking and just have a bit of what you fancy, you can and you should! But just remember that you don’t always have to over-consume to enjoy social occasions and you can still make progress towards your goals if you choose to.
Have fun and enjoy the holidays!