Better Me with BodyByBree
Better Me with BodyByBree
Surviving the Holiday Hustle: 5 Tips to Avoid the Holiday Weight Gain
Ready to enjoy your holiday favorites without the extra pounds? Discover how you can savor every festive bite while maintaining your health goals. Join me, Bree, as I share five game-changing strategies to help you navigate the holiday season with confidence. From planning ahead and incorporating fun family activities to embracing flexibility in your schedule, I've got you covered.
Remember, a healthy, balanced lifestyle is within reach, even during the busiest time of the year!
Want more? Find and follow Bree on
www.bodybybree.com
Instagram
Pinterest
YouTube
Blog
Are you looking for a space where you will learn to improve your mental strength, emotional health and heal your insecurities from the inside out? Take the first step to living a more meaningful life with the Better Me with Body by Brie podcast. I'm your host, brie. I'm a certified personal trainer, entrepreneur and mother of three. I've helped empower thousands of women to take action through fitness, nutrition, meditation, personal development and aligning thoughts with action. This podcast is for those who are ready to feel inspired and motivated to live a more purposeful life. Let's grow together. Hi everyone, welcome back to the Body by Brie podcast.
Speaker 1:I'm Brie, and today we're diving into a topic that's on everyone's mind this time of year how to avoid holiday weight gain while still enjoying yourself. We all know the holidays are full of fun, food and joy, but they can also come with a lot of stress when it comes to staying healthy. Between family gatherings, parties, treats and packed schedules, it's so easy to lose track of your goals. But don't worry. Today I'm sharing my top five tips to help you stay balanced, feel great and still indulge a little, without the holiday weight gain creeping in. So let's jump in. Okay, I have five tips for you and I feel like. They're very relatable and applicable. So we're going to jump right in.
Speaker 1:The number one tip for planning ahead for the holidays and surviving this holiday hustle, as I like to call it, is planning ahead but be flexible. So the key to surviving the holidays without derailing your goals really truly is planning. But before you roll your eyes at the idea of mapping out every meal and workout because, honestly, who really wants to do that? Hear me out. Planning doesn't have to be super strict, like for me. I'm actually a loose planner. So it's about preparing yourself for the season so that you're not caught off guard when the temptations hits. So here's about preparing yourself for the season so that you're not caught off guard when the temptations hits. So here's what I mean.
Speaker 1:Before the holiday craziness really sets in, I want you to take a few minutes to map out your key events. Do you have a work party coming up? Family dinners, cookie exchanges these are the times when you're most likely to indulge, and that's totally fine. But if you know what's coming, you can balance it out with healthier options leading up to those events and then after the events. So, for example, if you know that you've got a really big dinner party on Saturday. I want you to focus on getting your workouts in early in the week and keeping your meals healthy so that you can enjoy that party without guilt. It's about looking at your week and saying, okay, I'm going to indulge on Saturday, so let me focus on nourishing my body and more movement throughout the rest of the week. But here's the trick you do have to be flexible because life happens and sometimes things come up and you don't want to stress yourself out by trying to stick to the perfect plan. So I want you to aim for balance, not perfection. Also, when I'm really good at mapping this out and planning ahead, what happens is oftentimes I'll decide what's worth it and what's not. So sometimes I'll be like eh, the cookie exchange I'm fine to not indulge on the cookie exchange that's not really my thing. Exchange I'm fine to not indulge on the cookie exchange that's not really my thing. But at my family dinner, you better believe that I'm going to eat my grandma's homemade pie, right Like there are things that are worth it to me and things that aren't. If I say yes to everything, I'm telling you that weight creeps up so fast and it's the worst feeling because you've worked so hard to get where you're at. You don't want to spend all of January trying to work it off right Um.
Speaker 1:Tip number two is stay active, even in small bursts. So one of the biggest challenges during the holidays is sticking to your workout routine. So you're busy shopping, cooking, traveling and spending time with your family and then suddenly finding time to exercise feels impossible. So here's my advice Don't focus on the idea that you need to get in a full hour workout every single day, because sometimes all you need is 20 to 30 minutes of movement to make a huge difference in how you feel. So if you can't make it to the gym, do a quick body weight workout at home or go for a brisk walk, or even do some stretching while you're watching a holiday movie. I mean, in my app, this is a shameless plug. We always add body weight workouts for these reasons. Like, sometimes you're not going to have a gym, sometimes you won't have a set of dumbbells next to you, and that's okay. We want to make this a lifestyle, so we're always trying to give you options to move your body and do a quick 20 minute workout when you need.
Speaker 1:One of my favorite holiday hacks is to use family time as a way to sneak in some movement. So have you ever suggested a family walk after a big meal? Not only does that help with your digestion, but it's a great way to spend time together while staying active. You could also organize like a fun activity Like we love to play flag football or we also love to play basketball after dinner. Or you can even make it fun like do a holiday-themed workout challenge with your kids or your friends. We, every Thanksgiving, we always wake up and we do our football and then we run a 5K and it's like our turkey trot is what we do with our family and it's really fun and the kids love it and it helps us kind of stay active. So remember, the goal is to keep moving, even if it's just small bursts of activity, every bit counts.
Speaker 1:Number three is eat mindfully and enjoy what you love without guilt. So the holidays are full of delicious foods. You have cookies, pies, mashed potatoes, gravy you name it and I'm here to tell you it's okay to enjoy them. This isn't about depriving yourself or skipping all the things you love. It's about learning to indulge mindfully so that you don't feel like you've completely derailed your progress. Mindful eating means paying attention to your body. So when you're at a holiday party or family gathering, I want you to slow down, Take the time to enjoy your food and really taste it. I know it sounds simple, but by eating slowly and savoring each bite you're less likely to overeat. So I want you to put your fork down in between bites and check in with your body to see when you're full. I've really tried to incorporate this this year. I've noticed a huge difference when I'm like, okay, am I full? Am I full? Sometimes it's after what like half of a cookie, and I'm like, check in, oh, this is actually super sweet, I'm actually good with half of the cookie, right. But if you're just eating so fast, you won't ever realize when you're actually full because you're just eating too quickly.
Speaker 1:One of the best tips for mindful eating during the holidays is to prioritize the foods that you really love, instead of piling your plate with everything in sight. I want you to choose the things that truly bring you joy. If you absolutely love your grandma's pumpkin pie, then have a slice, but maybe skip the store-bought dinner rolls that you don't care about as much. Right? It's about being intentional with your indulgences, not mindlessly eating just because food is there and, most importantly, let go of the guilt. One meal won't ruin your progress, just like one workout won't make you fit. So enjoy your food, be present and move on without beating yourself up.
Speaker 1:Okay, number four hydrate like it's your job. I know we talk about hydration a lot, but during the holidays it's especially important. Not only are you likely eating more indulgent foods, but you're probably also drinking more alcohol or sugary drinks, and both of these can leave you feeling bloated, dehydrated and sluggish. So my tip is to drink water, and lots of it. Aim for at least eight to 10 glasses a day and, if you're drinking alcohol, make sure that you're alternating between alcoholic drinks and water. This will help you avoid that dreaded holiday hangover and keep your energy levels up. Plus, staying hydrated can actually help you avoid overeating. Sometimes, when we think we're hungry, we're actually just thirsty. So, before reaching for another helping, try drinking a glass of water and then see how you feel in a few minutes. This literally works for me. Every time, I'll be like I think I want more and I'm like actually, I think I'm thirsty and I take a big drink. I'm like oh no, I'm full. So here's my pro tip If you're hosting a holiday gathering, put out some fun festive water options, like sparkling water with slices of citrus or oranges, or water infused with cranberries and mint. So it's a simple way to make hydration feel special and then it's like a part of your celebration, which is fun. Okay, the last tip is focus on progress, not perfection.
Speaker 1:Lastly, I want to talk about mindset. You know I'm all about mindset. I'm a mindfulness and meditation coach. This is everything. If you are not connecting your mind with your body, you're going to have a huge disconnect, you're not going to have the results you want and your results won't last.
Speaker 1:So the holidays can be tricky time for a lot of us when it comes to our health and fitness goals. It's easy to feel like you failed if you overeat at a party or miss a workout, but that kind of thinking is exactly what sets you up for feeling defeated. So here's the mindset shift that I want you to make. It's not about being perfect. It's about progress and consistency over time. So one holiday meal or one missed workout isn't going to undo all of your hard work. What matters is what you do most of the time, not what you do occasionally. So if you slip up, if you overindulge or you skip a workout, don't beat yourself up. Just get back to your healthy habits the next day.
Speaker 1:The key is to keep moving forward and not let one off day turn into a whole week of giving up on yourself. Remember, the holidays are meant to be enjoyed. It's a season of celebration and connection and joy, and the last thing that you want is to spend it stressed out about food or workouts. So focus on balance, keep moving and then, most importantly, be kind to yourself. All right, that's it. There, you have it. Those are my top five tips to avoid holiday weight gain while still enjoying yourself.
Speaker 1:Now here's what I want you to do. I want you to do, I want you to pick one of these tips and start implementing it this week. Maybe it's planning your workouts out ahead of time, or maybe it's practicing mindful eating at your next holiday party. Whatever feels right for you, just take one small step. And if you need more support staying on track during the holidays, check out my free jumpstart trial. It's full of quick workouts, mindset tips and nutritional guidance to help you feel your best even during the busiest time of the year. You can find that link in the show notes.
Speaker 1:Let's do a quick recap of the five tips we talked about today. Number one plan ahead but stay flexible. So remember we're balancing indulgences with healthy choices throughout the week. Two stay active, even in small bursts. A little movement goes a long way and you can make it fun with your family and friends. Number three eat mindfully. Slow down, savor what you love and let go of guilt. Number four hydrate like it's your job. Drink plenty of water and stay energized and avoid overeating. And number five focus on progress, not perfection. One meal or one missed workout won't derail you. Keep moving forward. Remember the holidays are a time for joy and connection. You don't have to be perfect to stay on track with your health and fitness goals. Find your balance, enjoy the season and, most importantly, be kind to yourself along the way.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for tuning in to today's episode of the Body by Brie podcast.
Speaker 1:If you found these tips helpful, I'd love for you to share this episode with a friend who could use a little extra support during the holidays. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode, wishing you all a happy, healthy and balanced holiday season. Thank you for joining us in today's episode If you liked the content and want to hear more, remember to hit that subscribe button and write a review. As a small business owner, I appreciate it more than you know. If you are looking for a program to help with self-confidence to lose weight, get in shape and work on your mental, physical and emotional health, check out my training programs on wwwbodybybreecom. My team and I help to hold you accountable through the Body by Bree app, where you log in to see all your workouts, custom meal plan made specifically for you and your needs, and communication through the messenger. You are never alone when you're on the Body by Bree training program. Click the link in the show notes to get more information on how to transform your life from the inside out.
.png)