Navigating the FEASTivities: Strategies to Balance the Holidays & Your Goals
With Thanksgiving just around the corner and the festive season upon us, it's time to prepare for the upcoming dinners with your loved ones. Striking a balance between your fitness goals and life is key to long-term success. In this article, we'll explore strategies to help you navigate the holiday season without compromising your goals.
Preface: I firmly believe in striking a balance between your fitness goals and enjoying life. At times, this may require some focused effort to "get it done," but other times, it can mean allowing yourself to loosen up a bit to create lasting memories. Here are some strategies if you want to stay on track.
Strict Adherence with Accountability:
For those who prefer a disciplined approach, pre-logging your food the day before the festivities can provide the necessary accountability. This preemptive measure allows you to plan your meals, ensuring you stay on track with your nutritional goals while still enjoying the holiday feast.The Balancing Act:
If you anticipate indulging during dinner, consider implementing a balancing act. You can either "bank" calories by consuming fewer on the day of the feast or the days leading up to it. This strategic planning ensures that you have a specific calorie allotment reserved for the festive meal, helping you maintain an overall intake in line with your targets.Make It Up:
After a day of festive indulgence, it's possible to make up for the extra calories in the following days. While not a strategy to be frequently employed as I don’t believe it’s sustainable long-term nor a healthy habit to build, this approach can be useful when balancing the desire to enjoy festivities and maintain overall caloric targets. However, for this strategy to be feasible, it's essential to set a reasonable calorie allotment for these "make-up" days.
Remember, balance is key most of the time. Knowing your priorities can guide you in making the best decisions for overall gains — both in physique and life. And sometimes, this means taking a pitstop and smelling the roses mashed potatoes and gravy. So if the holidays and spending time with your loved ones are important to you, give yourself some leeway and have fun in moderation.
Navigating the holiday season can be challenging, but you don't have to do it alone. If you find yourself needing assistance during or after the holidays, don't hesitate to reach out for support. Work with me through the holidays to maintain your course toward your goals, or plan to start post-holidays and hit the ground running after the holiday celebrations have settled.
