There are a number of holidays quickly approaching, each with their own smorgasbord of tempting dishes and desserts. Whether you’ve committed to a health and nutrition plan or are simply working on making smarter food choices through the holiday season, these next few months can be a challenging time of year in terms of eating and exercising. 

How can you get through the holiday season without losing hard-earned progress? Is there a way to still enjoy your favorite holiday while being cognizant of what you’re putting into your body? There’s enough stress around the holidays for you to also be losing sleep worrying overeating habits. In this blog, we’ll be highlighting five tips for navigating holiday food while leaving guilt in the dust. 

1. Hire A Personal Nutritionist

As an adult, there’s a lot on your plate during the holiday season. You want to make everything magical for your loved ones, but that’s a lot of work. It can be overwhelming to try to take care of yourself while taking care of everyone else. This is how your goals go by the wayside. 

With the best personal nutritionist Seattle has to offer, you’ll get the help you need and deserve, so you can still stick to the promises you made to yourself earlier in the year. By describing your eating schedule and goals to your personal nutritionist, the two of you can come up with a plan that takes holiday plans, whatever those may look like, into consideration. You won’t feel guilty for indulging in a slice of pumpkin pie if your nutritionist took dessert into consideration when creating your personalized eating plan. A personal nutritionist can help make the holidays guilt free, so you can come out on top in time for 2022!

2. Plan Ahead As Part Of Your Nutrition Plan

Many of our holiday traditions that involve food, friends and family are planned out in advance. With the luxury of knowing that a celebration involving food and beverages is just around the corner you can plan ahead. Planning ahead means you won’t have to skip out or scrimp when it comes time to sit down and enjoy a meal. Eat a light lunch and breakfast if dinner is the big event. Count your calories or macros, depending on your preference. If you’re not the one preparing food, ask what’s on the menu ahead of time, so you don’t get surprised by a scrumptious delight that you didn’t account for. Or, if you have the time, consider offering to bring a side dish that you know you can enjoy. Once you’ve made a plan, stick to it. If you go into every event knowing what and how much you’ll eat, you can forget about holiday weight gain. 

3. Pay Attention To Serving Sizes

A surefire way to make yourself miserable—and end up accidentally binging corn pudding—is by denying yourself a food or dessert that you really love. There’s not a single food that’s “bad” as long as you eat in moderation. To help you make good choices with indulgent food, pay attention to the recommended serving size. Not sure of the serving size, because it’s a homemade baked good? A quick search online should help you figure out a ballpark estimate, so you can make an informed decision. 

4. Take Your Time While Eating

Did you know that according to the CDC, it takes 20 minutes before your brain recognizes that you’re actually full? This knowledge can be a gamechanger, because it will help prevent you from eating past the point of being satiated. Enjoy the company around you, chew slowly, stay hydrated and wait ten minutes before going back for seconds. That will ensure that you avoid overeating. 

5. Build In Time To Exercise

Even though the holidays are hectic, taking even 15 minutes to do a quick workout will help you stay on track with your goals. Did you know that aerobic exercises like walking, running, biking, dancing and kickboxing can actually curb your appetite? This is because aerobic exercise changes the hormone levels that are responsible for feeling hunger. It will ultimately be easier to stick to these healthy eating tips if you’re not feeling ravenous. Take a run around your neighborhood or do an online exercise video in your parent’s basement. You’ll thank yourself at the end of the holiday season. 

Navigating holiday food the right way doesn’t have to be daunting or frustrating. Search for “personal nutritionist Seattle” or wherever you’re located to find nutritional support. Plan ahead, stick to your serving sizes, take your time, get a little exercise, and above all, enjoy time with your loved ones. Happy holidays! 


Check out our blog on sticking to healthy eating habits once the holidays are over.