October is here and that means we have entered the “Holiday Season.”
This can be a challenging time to stay on track with your nutrition.
Oftentimes the difference between maintaining your current weight, as well as gaining or losing fat, can be as small as +/- 100-200 calories per day.
With that in mind, the holiday season offers many opportunities to increase calories substantially, and with that comes extra insulation around our waistlines and higher numbers on the scale.
The holiday season revolves around the big three for most people – Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, as well as other holidays that may be observed.
For just about everyone, we’re talking about three days!
We all know that these three holidays extend well beyond those three days.
There are work parties, family (both sides of the families), and friend gatherings. Additionally, there are sport events, birthdays / anniversaries / weddings that are likely on your calendar.
Take a moment to think about what you want your holiday season to look like and how you want to feel at the end of it.
How many times do you need to “treat yourself?”
Is some of your favorite candy on Halloween Day enough? Do you need candy before and after Halloween?
Is stuffing and pie on Thanksgiving Day enough? Do you need any of those foods afterward?
Are Christmas Day treats, dinner and desert enough? Do you need more cookies, chocolates, and drinks for days (or weeks) leading up to and after Christmas?
How much alcohol do you want to add because “it’s the holidays?”
Do you have to have every seasonal variation of flavored pumpkin or peppermint coffee that’s being advertised? Is one time enough?
Start thinking about these questions now and be prepared ahead of time.
The answers will be different for everyone based on personal goals, accountability and environment.
If you want to feel better than you usually do at the end of this holiday season, you can’t keep doing the same things you’ve always done.
In order to have a different outcome after the three holidays, be deliberate with a change in your actions.