You can stay fit and still have fun over the holidays.  Don’t use the holidays as an excuse not to stay active and to overeat.  Exercising can be a great way to relieve some of the stress that goes along with planning meals, hosting parties, getting your house ready for guests, etc.  Holidays should be a time to gather with friends and family and enjoy being together.

  • Stick to your regular exercise plan
    • Don’t let the hustle and bustle of the holidays get in the way of your workout routine
    • If you can’t get to the gym find ways to stay active at home
    • Shopping for gifts can be a great way to get some extra walking in
  • Be active as a family
    • Play games
    • Go for a walk
  • Make healthy food choices
    • Avoid skipping meals so that you can overeat at gatherings; eat a light breakfast and lunch if you plan on eating a little more at dinner
    • Pay attention to beverages- alcoholic beverages, egg nog, punch, juices, and soda are high in calories and sugar so consume these in moderation
    • Fix a plate and move away from the table-if you stand next to the food you are likely to continue to consume more calories without even knowing it
  • Bring healthy foods to your gatherings
    • If you are worried that there will not be healthy options available be the one to provide something nutritious
      • Fruit and vegetable platter
      • Salad
      • Healthy Dips- click here for a light and delicious pumpkin fluff that can be served with fruit, vanilla wafers or cinnamon graham crackers
    • Socialize
      • Make the holidays a time to catch up with friends and family members
      • It’s difficult to talk with food in your mouth, and not very polite

By Rachel Sestrich, RD, LD, CDE