15 Tips for a Healthy Christmas Season

December 5, 2012 by · 4 Comments
Hello Fancy Things Community! 
My name is Kimberly and I’m the girl behind This Healthy Endeavor.

insert..bad instagram but pretty cute picture…

 

I’m a simple girl with a desire to live a healthy lifestyle for God, not the world. I live in the wonderful state of Kentucky, where I’m a member of a great church and a teacher in a sweet country community. But this post isn’t about me, it’s about you and this Christmas season…

Ahh….Christmas.
A time of Christmas trees…..

 

Cute phone backgrounds….
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JzAqK3OlPMY/ULFbavWY5pI/AAAAAAAABhA/iUMuzbgFA38/s1600/092.JPG
Cute Christmas Crafts and decorations….

and…..food.

 

Now before I get started, I wanted you to know that I’m real and I understand how easy it is to  just let the Christmas season get to you. I mean how many times a year do we get peppermint mochas and pumpkin rolls. Trust me I understand. I used to be {and occasionally slip} the person that wrote off being healthy during this time of year. It wasn’t that long ago either.

 

                  This was earlier this year.                                      This was a few weeks ago.

 

Sure I did strategically pose a little but posing only does so much. It’s only about 15-20 lbs {I don’t own a scale so my weigh ins are few} but pounds I don’t want back on my body because I still want another 20 gone.
I do struggle with this. Trust me if I could freely sit here and eat a Ghirardelli peppermint bark chocolate bar, pumpkin pie, and fried chicken I would. My friends, I have grown to realize that there is more to this Christmas season than the foods.

I’ve learned from many ups and downs, emotional battles, yo yo diets, disorder eating etc. I am not a registered dietitian but I do love nutrition. 
So here are my tips for a healthy Christmas season. 

 

 

1. Be Active // Strive to do something active every day. You don’t need to run 5 miles or endure a 60 minute muscle pumping session at the gym. If you can do that..GREAT! If not try just to move around the house, stroll around the neighborhood to see lights, check out your local parks and see if they have anything you can walk through. In the words of Nike, just do it.
2. Try New Foods // Explore your options. The holidays are a great time because food bloggers are trying out a lot of the “seasonal” flavors. Explore Pinterest.
Pomegranates
Cinnamon
Peppermint Tea (not really seasonal you can buy it all year long…but peppermint just screams winter!)
I love Celestial Seasonings

 

3. Choose Wisely //Realize that some foods only come around this time of year. That also doesn’t mean throw caution to the wind. If you are debating between a Peppermint Mocha or Chipotle, go with the mocha…Chipotle will always be around. Just be cautious with Starbucks drinks, they are loaded with sugars! Go skinny and go small. All you really want or need is a taste, not an overload.

4. Learn to Say “No Thank You” // People are going to give you goodies. Cookies, pies, cakes,candies galore. Learn to say “No Thank You”. As a person who bakes a lot solely to give it to others, they most likely won’t be offended. And if they know your desire for a healthy lifestyle, they should respect your decision.

5. Have Friends Over // By having friends over you can control what is being made. Sounds control freakish I know but trust me it works.

6. Have Just a Taste // If there is a Christmas delicacy you MUST have, then have it but in moderation. I allow myself treats when needed. Because let’s be real, not allowing anything during this season may possibly bring out your inner scrooge…that my friends we don’t want. Have a slice of pumpkin roll, a sliver of peppermint cheesecake, or a bit of peanut brittle….just don’t sit down and eat numerous servings. That will cause a sugar coma, tummy ache, a trip to the pharmacy for some Pepto and you sitting on the couch contemplating why you ate that…all of which are not good feelings.

7. Hydrate // Drink water throughout the day. Staying hydrated is one of the best ways to ward off those hunger pains. Most of the time when you’re hungry you are really just thirsty.  I keep a water bottle with me all the time. Granted, I do have little human servants (aka students..they’re really not my servants) that will fill my water bottle up and even ask to when they see it’s low. Don’t wait until the end of the day to drink your water. You’re defeating the purpose and you’ll have to pee all night long…just saying…
8. Keep Your Hands Busy // How many times do we eat out of boredom? I know that was a huge thing for me in the past. I was bored so I’d find something to eat. My body didn’t need the food, my brain needed an activity. Read a book, get outside, learn a new craft. Do something that will take your mind off of food.
9. Listen to Your Body // Learn to know when your body is full and when it is hungry. Also if your body is genuinely hungry give it what it needs, nutrients. Eat an apple with peanut butter or some carrots and hummus…not an Oreo truffle.
10. Remake Your Favorites // Explore the world of cooking…scary to some I know. But when you cook your own foods that is when you can control.
Taste of Home has a great healthy make over section. Dashing Dish is a great website where she has re-created numerous recipes, {plus she loves Jesus too!!}. I also love Skinny Taste and Eat Yourself Skinny for lightened up versions of everyday classics.

 

11. Start a Challenge // Gather up a group of family members, friends, co-workers and do a Christmas time challenge.
Who can eat the most colors in one meal?
Who can drink the most water?
Who can do 20 push ups under the tree?
Or…you can go visit my friend Lindsey and join in on the Elf for Health..Rounds 2 and 3 of course!
12. Find New Stress Relievers // This time of year is stressful. Between all the parties, get-togethers, fighting traffic, and finances, there will be stress. Don’t take it out on a pint of Ben and Jerry’s. Take a walk, journal your thoughts, drink some tea, take a nap {if possible}, give yourself a manicure and pedicure….pray. Food isn’t going to solve your problems. Sure it tastes good but a few hours down the road…is your problem gone?
13. Take the Stairs // Any chance you  have to get in extra movement use it! Truly make every moment count. So when you can feasibly take the stairs do it. That extra burn will help somewhere down the road.
14. Plan Ahead // Plan your meals and snacks. I love cooking and prepping on the weekend. I just recently learned the joys of smoothie packs. These are wonder when I need a sweet hit at night before bed. I just chop up a variety of fruits, place a single serving of 2-3 different fruits in a bag, and freeze them. When I’m ready for a smoothie I take a bag out, put the contents in a blender, add some almond milk (you can do regular dairy..I choose not too) and blend. It’s super yummy, cost saving and time efficient!
Menu planning is great too, that way you don’t have to question what you want to make.
Chop up veggies and fruits for easy-to-grab snacks throughout the week: apples, bananas, and baby carrots. Clementines are lovely and in season right now.
15. Live // I think this is the most important part. Live. Understand that no one is perfect and you will slip up. But there is grace in every moment. We are all learning about life each day. If you over indulge one meal it’s not the end. Pick yourself up, dust off whatever shame, disgust, lost hope feelings you may have and move on. Balance yourself back out. The worst thing you could do this holiday season is live a life of being trapped to restrictions …..that takes the grace out of living.
You can find the happy medium between restriction and over indulgence…that is where healthy begins.

© 2012, a sweet guest. All rights reserved. Love it? Print, email, pin, tweet or share but please don’t use my work without permission. {Copyright Fancy Little Things. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this article or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.}

Filed Under: Healthy Self, In the Kitchen · Tagged With: Christmas, fitness, nutrition
About a sweet guest

hello friends!! please welcome our guest of the day today. we love when our friends stop by to share something fun, sweet, inspiring with you all. be sure to check out their blog and follow along. do you want to be a guest? email us to write for an upcoming series: aimee@FancyLittleThings.com.

Comments

  1. Charlotte says:
    December 6, 2012 at 8:39 am

    Kimberly, I love this. At first I wondered how you were going to come up with 15, and I read on. Good choices, and good reminders, every one. Hope to see you again on FLT.

    Reply
  2. Ruth says:
    December 6, 2012 at 4:09 pm

    good suggestions and reminders; we should all practice no thank you to too many holiday sweets

    Reply
  3. Kristin Cho says:
    December 6, 2012 at 11:01 pm

    This is such a great list! I personally needed that reminder to say no and choose wisely LOL I will constantly excuse myself by saying “but it’s Christmas!” For the sake of my immunity and sleep schedule; the sugar must be cut!

    Thank you =D
    Kristin Cho recently posted..Christmas Devotional: Day 4My Profile

    Reply
  4. Kimberly says:
    December 7, 2012 at 6:06 pm

    awe thanks ladies!! Just speaking from the heart! And I won’t lie I was shocked I got up to 15 too!

    Reply

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