I know the holidays can make adhering to your fitness and health goals extra difficult.  I feel like everywhere I turn, there’s some type of peppermint dessert or gingerbread cookie.  Plus, the days are getting shorter and after a long day, the last thing I want to do is go to the gym (or even wake up before work, because it’s cold and dark outside).  Regardless, I’ve made this kind of lifestyle a habit and everyday I try to take one step forward with a good workout and nutritious foods.  It may not always be like this (especially during the holidays), but for the most part, I’ve come up with a few ways to stay healthy during the holidays and to keep you on track while still allowing some room for indulgence!

Leggings: Power Workout Leggings c/o Sweaty Betty (print is deep lake camo) | Sports Bra: Circuit Sports Bra c/o Sweaty Betty | Shoes: New Balance Sneakers | Watch: Apple Watch

6 Ways to Stay Healthy During the Holidays

1. Moderation

I know, I know, this is the first piece of advice you hear from probably everyone in the world…but it’s true.  Moderation and mindful eating are everything (and this goes for everyday in life).  Do you want a piece of cake? But it’s not going to fit into your macros? Or maybe it’s not your cheat meal yet (okay, okay, we can call it a treat meal in today’s post).  Eat it anyway.  Trust me, it’s not going to kill you.  It’s not going to make the slightest dent into your physique…as always, eat it in moderation.  It’s hard to not go overboard during the holidays, but try not to have a piece of every dessert, but instead pick your fave one! I also like to fill up my plate during the holidays with greens and protein FIRST then whatever space is left, I add the other yummy casseroles, etc. It allows you to have 70% of your plate full of nutritious foods, while still getting to indulge in the other goodness.

2. Sleep

Sleep is crucial for overall health and for your fitness goals (whether that’s to lose weight, gain weight/muscle, or maintain).  8 hours is the perfect amount of sleep to have you feel rested and ready to tackle the day. With the holidays so dang busy, it’s important to make sleep a priority — for both mental and physical health.  Trust me, you’ll feel much better tackling your to-do list and hitting your goals when you’re fully rested.

3. Set weekly realistic goals

This is important because you don’t want to set yourself up for failure.  If you set a goal that’s totally unattainable, you’re just going to get down on yourself when you don’t reach it.  I also like to underestimate the goal I’m trying to achieve — if you shoot for 20 minutes in the gym, chances are that you will stay for 30.  If you shoot for 3 days a week in the gym, chances are that you will go to the gym 4 days!

4. Meal prep

I know it’s probably annoying to have to meal prep, but I promise it comes in handy this time of year.  It’s so much easier to reach for something unhealthy or grab some fast food on the go BUT you’ll be more likely to reach for a healthy nutritious meal when it’s ready to go in the fridge (or freezer) for you. I meal prep for us on Monday nights and it is a life saver! You can take so many of my instant pot recipes on FITwithASD.com and stick them in the freezer and save for later too (especially the stir fry!).

5. Hydrate

A classic piece of advice, but not any less true! If you’re craving something, chances are you’re dehydrated first.  Drink a glass of water and then re-evaluate.  Make sure you’re drinking plenty of H2O throughout the day (I shoot for 100 oz).  I keep a 20 oz water bottle with me and fill it up 5 times each day: when I wake up, with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and before bed.

6. Mindset

Mindset is huge during this, because so many people say “oh, I’ll just start on Jan 1”.  You have to change your mindset about this so that you can start your fitness goals now, not later. People underestimate the time leading up to the holidays, when you can conquer so many goals in that timeframe — you just have to change your mindset.  People also drastically underestimate the change they can make in 6 months, while overestimating the change they can make in 1 month. A great way to stick to this mindset is by joining a fitness program like FITwithASD.com.  It holds you accountable by being able to connect with other members AND you have access to daily workouts (with video tutorials), an At Home program (no excuse if you don’t have a gym membership), healthy recipes, macro calculator, FitChats, and spotify playlist. You can join for $8.99/month over here and it will allow you to kickstart your fitness goals before the holidays!

P.S. You can join FITwithASD before Jan 1 and get a head start on conquering your fitness goals, but there will be an 8 Week Challenge starting on Jan 1! You just have to be a member of FITwithASD.com and submit before/after photos at the end of the 8 weeks. There will be three winners that will win a year’s worth of FITwithASD, booty bands, + other prizes!

Photography by Erin Trimble