How to overcome your holiday habits

Photo by Wil Stewart on Unsplash

Over the holidays did you find yourself overeating, drinking far too much and indulging in what would usually be 'treat' foods?

I can imagine the majority of responses to this would be a 'hell yeah!' and it should be wholeheartedly and without regret. Holidays are the time to enjoy all of the treats, relax with your friends and family and skip that workout. But this time of joy and bliss is simply that, a time to enjoy your downtime - a holiday. After all the holiday period is over, it's time to get back into your routine, establish new healthy habits that are realistic and maintainable to ease your way back into normal life once again.

Here are my tips for easing your way back into normal routine, with a healthy twist.

1. Eat wholefoods

When on holiday-mode there is an endless supply of snacks like cheeses, chips and dip, BBQs and more, but when your getting back into your daily routine it's best to stick to eating whole food that are unprocessed and unpackaged. Wholefoods are nutrient-rich and are exactly what your body craves after a holiday blowout. This is not me promoting a diet, but simply taking your eating back to basics by eating whole, real food that is in its true form. Think salads, grilled vegetables on the BBQ, corn on the cob, fruit platters, vegie sticks (carrot, cucumber, celery or capsicum) or a simple roast on the barbie.

2. Watch your portion sizes

Portion control tends to go out the door when your surrounded by cheese platters and snacks on demand in the holidays, so think about how much you're putting on your plate when you're back into your routine. A good rule for portion sizes is to fill half your plate with fresh vegetables or salad, a fist size of good a protein source, a small serving of carbohydrates and a good dollop of good fats on the side. If you find controlling your portions hard, look at eating from a smaller plate, this way you'll find that once finished, you don't tend to go for seconds and therefore don't overeat. Another good rule is to eat until your 80% full.

3. Alcohol in moderation

I know this might be a hard one for some - myself included - but the easiest way to get back into the swing of things is to reduce your alcohol intake, so your liver can take care of ridding the toxins built up in your body. Adding alcohol to the mix only slows this process down, so be sure to choose water as your main drink and limit your alcohol intake for the first two weeks after holidaying. 

4. Set some goals

If you've set yourself a goal to get fitter, run a half marathon or simply exercise every day for 30 minutes, then go you! Goal setting is such a great way to get on the wagon to become a healthier and fitter version of yourself. When starting out make sure you take baby steps and don't overdo it, as this is what can result in lapses. So if you're goal is to exercise every day for 30 minutes, then perhaps do alternate days of walking and resistance training, or maybe you want to throw in a fitness class in there. Small, repetitive and actionable steps will help you reach your goal.

5. Don't overdo it

You might want to implement five new healthy habits when you get back from a holiday, but the reality is you'll only overwhelm yourself and your body with all these new changes, so it's best to stick to a new habit every few days or each week to ease your way into it. Start off with healthier eating by choosing whole foods, then the next week start exercising on alternate days, the next week add in super smoothies for your breakfast or reducing your portion sizes. Easy does it and it's so much easier to add in a few things here and there to make sure your body adjusts accordingly.

But also remember that if you fall off the wagon - get back up again! Here's to healthy habits and routines!

C x