Eating healthfully during the holidays is always a challenge. But this year the pandemic is making it even harder.
Holidays bring many new stresses and challenges into people’s schedules. One National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute study found that most weight in adulthood is gained during the holiday period from Halloween to New Year’s Day. And it is not lost afterward, so it is a significant source of weight gain in adulthood.
Parties, holiday shopping, large meals, baked goods, rich treats and lack of exercise all add up quickly. Knowing the pitfalls and how to avoid them will provide a huge step up this year so you maintain instead of gain weight.
Here are three Holiday Survival Tips along with how they may need to be tweaked this year due to COVID-19 from Food and Health Communications.
Focus less on food and more on celebrating what the holidays are all about. This can be difficult if you’re alone or unable to get together with friends or extended family this year.
Schedule phone calls and virtual gatherings so you’ll have something to look forward to besides eating.
Keep your hands busy with knitting, crafts, adult coloring books, or puzzles. You can’t eat while doing these kinds of activities.
Make up for missing events like tree lightings and holiday festivals by finding things you CAN do. Walk around your neighborhood to see all the holiday lights, for example.
Pay attention to exercise and sleep — two things that the holidays tend to interfere with.
Make a plan to take a walk or do an exercise video at the same time every day. Text a friend to stay accountable.
Avoid staying up later than usual or sleeping in. Stick to a consistent sleep schedule so you’ll wake up refreshed every morning.
Put health-promoting gifts on your wish list, like a subscription to the premium version of a meal planning or food tracking app or hand weights for strength training.
Find ways to make traditional holiday dishes a bit healthier.
Use less fat or sugar in recipes. Staying home means you’ll be in control of the big holiday meals, so make this the year you try a lower fat pumpkin pie or sweet potatoes without the sugary toppings.
If there’s only going to be four of you for the big holiday meal, scale things down. Buy the smallest pies or cakes you can find. Bake smaller batches of things like your favorite holiday cookies. The goal is to NOT have lots of leftovers to tempt you.
If you’re buying a meal from a supermarket or restaurant, make sure you know what you’re getting and adjust accordingly. Keep some extra roasted vegetables or salad on hand to add to a purchased meal.
The holidays and the pandemic make it easy to gain weight and hard to lose it. Probably the best tip to try this time of year is to aim to maintain your weight and not gain weight during the holidays.
Article Released December 21, 2020
