Recovering from the Holidays

The holiday season can take a toll on our bodies; both physically and mentally. There seems to be more stress, and less time to do things. This often leads to exercising less and eating out more. And for some reason the holidays inevitably are accompanied by pie, lots of pie. And I will admit, almost every holiday I fall into the same bad exercise and eating habits.

Now that the parties are over and the level of craziness has died down it is time to recover and create new and improved habits for the rest of the year.

1. Pack Your Meals

I have been super into meal prep lately. I started meal prepping my lunches to save money. And I’ll write more about that another time (some easy recipes to look forward to!). But another benefit to meal prepping is that you control the portion sizes. When I prepare my meals I am less inclined to grab lunch at the local chipotle since I spent money on the food that I made and put time into making that meal. I also like to prepare small snack bowls to eat for breakfast or as an afternoon snack.

2. Make Sure to Snack

When I say snacking is good I do not mean snacks like M&Ms or Cheetos. I mean healthy snacks. Almonds, carrots, grapes, cucumber and hummus, a banana with peanut butter. Snacking tricks your brain into thinking you’re full because you are consistently eating. But really, if you are eating healthy snacks you aren't consuming that many calories. Snacking is also a better way to consume food because your body has more time to digest your food and you won't over eat.

3. Use small bowls and plates.

I love all of the plates and bowls at Anthropologie. I have a ton of their tiny bowls and plates. And they are perfect for my ice cream or kettle corn. Yes, you can have dessert! Just in moderation. And, if you put it in a small bowl it will appear as if you are eating more than you actually are. Eating out of the bag is probably one of the worst things to do. Trust me, I’ve done it, and I’ve almost finished an entire bag of popcorn without noticing. And I am not talking about a snack size bag; like a family sized one. So limit yourself, and get some cute bowls and plates!

4. Keep Exercising

Traveling or a busy schedule is not an excuse to skip exercise. Sure you can take a few days break. But make sure to get a little physical activity in your week. All you need is a pair of sneakers to go for a run. Bringing along a jump rope is an easy way to get in a little cardio. If I can, I like to travel with my yoga mat. Stay active as much as you can. A half hour of exercise may not seem significant, but its definitely better than nothing! Doing it consistently, for me, makes it a part of my day that I look forward to.

5. Drink a lot of H20

Drinking water is important for many reasons. Staying hydrated is super important. And sometimes you can feel hungry, but really you’re thirsty. Drinking water can also fill you up a little bit, so you're inclined to eat less. I do know a lot of people who don't like drinking water. If that is the case, try getting a diffuser and mix some fruit combinations in your water. Or maybe grab a little bit of peppermint or herbal tea (no sugar!)

6. Enjoy yourself

Don’t be afraid to enjoy food! Because food is so freaking good. Just be smart about it. What will eating that extra cookie get you? It will make you fuller, it will probably make you groggy and possibly bloated. So eat one or two cookies instead of four or five. Those cookies will probably still be there tomorrow.

And, if you are broke like I am, make it a point to only eat half of your meal when you go out to dinner, you get a whole other meal the next day and you don't feel so full that you need to unbutton your pants and can’t move.

#diet #exercise #healthy #habits #food