When I am planning my holidays I try to keep the focus on quality time with family and friends. Happy experiences make for happy memories! The last thing that I want to feel is stress about my body.
So how to indulge without going overboard? It’s all about planning, balance and staying connected to your body and goals. Planning ahead helps ensure that you make healthy choices and don’t have to sacrifice any of the things you love. For example, add a green salad to your Holiday menu and at least one other green veggie for a side at Thanksgiving Dinner. When you serve your plate, choose 2 favorite carb-centric sides like stuffing and mashed or sweet potatoes with your turkey and greens. This gives you room for desert and makes for a meal that is delicious and indulgent without being over the top!
Remember the goal is to be healthy. Do not green light bad behavior in the name of health, like skipping breakfast or lunch to “save calories” for dinner.
Balance out your holiday meals by including extra fresh veggies, fruit and lean protein when you can. For me that means a green salad with my scrambled eggs and bacon on Thanksgiving morning and fresh fruit with a soup or salad for lunch. If you are a guest at a meal where people need help in the kitchen offer to make and bring a healthy side along with your favorite indulgent dish! Another easy Holiday tip is to make an effort to drink extra water in place of juices or anything sweetened and try swapping in green or black tea with lemon rather than an afternoon coffee with cream with your holiday pie. These small choices add up in the big picture and should help making your holiday meals fun, healthy and indulgent!
So how to indulge without going overboard? It’s all about planning, balance and staying connected to your body and goals. Planning ahead helps ensure that you make healthy choices and don’t have to sacrifice any of the things you love. For example, add a green salad to your Holiday menu and at least one other green veggie for a side at Thanksgiving Dinner. When you serve your plate, choose 2 favorite carb-centric sides like stuffing and mashed or sweet potatoes with your turkey and greens. This gives you room for desert and makes for a meal that is delicious and indulgent without being over the top!
Remember the goal is to be healthy. Do not green light bad behavior in the name of health, like skipping breakfast or lunch to “save calories” for dinner.
Balance out your holiday meals by including extra fresh veggies, fruit and lean protein when you can. For me that means a green salad with my scrambled eggs and bacon on Thanksgiving morning and fresh fruit with a soup or salad for lunch. If you are a guest at a meal where people need help in the kitchen offer to make and bring a healthy side along with your favorite indulgent dish! Another easy Holiday tip is to make an effort to drink extra water in place of juices or anything sweetened and try swapping in green or black tea with lemon rather than an afternoon coffee with cream with your holiday pie. These small choices add up in the big picture and should help making your holiday meals fun, healthy and indulgent!
When it comes to working out on the Holidays my schedule always takes some adjusting. l will be using my online Custom Workout to keep myself feeling energized and toned. I may not be able to find a full hour for myself but I love knowing that I can build shorter workouts that focus on toning and strengthening like our Recharge Series and Nutcracker workouts. My overall Holiday fitness goal is to relax and have fun while staying connected to a program that lets me feel my most confident and best. I’ll be doing at least two of our 10-15 minute videos everyday. Who else is in?
Wishing you the Happiest Holiday! May you and yours enjoy great Health!
Love this! Thank you Mary Helen :)
I'm just curious - I tend to struggle with finding balance with exercise, I easily get obsessive about exercising every day (especially since I'm currently slightly above my body's natural weight). Would you happy even if you could only fit in two 10-15 minute workouts? Would you add something like walking to that? Being able to be content with just two 10-15 minute workouts would be so freeing to me, since I feel anxious if i don't get in 45-60 minutes of physical activity every day!
Thanks,
E
I began BB 2+ months ago. *Thanks to our wonderful public library, I was able to request a copy of several MHB BB workouts.
**To date, I have purchased several DVDs, and look forward to streaming more practices after Christmas. (My *after* Christmas treat to ME!)
That said, I took the advice in this article to heart and made well this holiday week. I am so grateful for Ballet Beautiful! In the midst of the craziest of seasons...you give me ground. Thanksgiving...indeed!
I love the idea of adding healthy sides to holiday dinner, so you don't have to miss out on the more indulgent things, I could definitely use more balance like this and will try it over Christmas!
x Sheila
https://www.sheilahoneill.com
Hi Mary Helen
I just want to say how much I love the streamline work outs I can buy and download on my phone and on my desk top. It just takes into consideration a busy lawyer's life; when you've had a hard week and you can't face going to the gym in the cold London rain, with your streamline library I can do a cosy but effective work out facing my Apple desktop in. my study at home doing those arm circle exercises. I have just done those for the first time and yes I felt the burn...but the best bit is after I feel a complete release of tension from my shoulders and neck and head like a ton has been lifted. One gets really stiff sitting at a desk all day for long hours and this just lifts it; all the aches in my eyes have gone!
I love your blog and BalletBeautiful. Wishing you Prosperous and Peaceful 2019 !! Love Fay xx