It’s the holiday season! We all know that 2020 was a tough and challenging year but Christmas and New Year’s Eve are upon us. What’s better than having an excuse to spend more time with family, eat a lot of food, drink and open presents? I am not going to lie, Christmas might be my favorite time of the year because of the things I just named. Unfortunately, with all that eating and drinking comes the risk of gaining weight and losing some of your progress. I am not sure how your family does things this time of year but my family likes to eat food and drink. Around this time of year, the ”oliebollen” come out to play, (if you have never had one) they’re basically big dough balls, fried and covered with powdered sugar (picture below). It’s similar to a donut but not the same, never had one? Definitely give them a try when visiting the Netherlands during the winter months. You can bet your ass that I will be having a fair few when I go back.

Personally I am not super worried about eating my bodyweight in chocolate, oliebollen and beers, because my base/foundation is and has been solid. I haven’t been eating (what I consider healthy) for the past couple weeks, I have been doing this for years. Okay just kidding there, obviously there is such a thing as too much for all of us. But hopefully you get the point I am trying to make here, if your foundation has been solid for a long time you have more room for mistakes, slip-ups etc.

Let’s just start off by saying that if you’re worried about losing EVERYTHING you have worked for in just those couple of days, your foundation isn’t good enough and that’s definitely something we want to work on after the holidays are over. The worst thing is worrying about saying no to things during the Christmas time because you’re so concerned about your health and physique. Besides building a better foundation for yourself during the rest of the year, there are some other things that you can do to enjoy the holidays without having to say no, while maintaining as much of your physique as you can.

1.Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting is arguably the best way to reset your body’ food clock without changing what you’re eating. Fasting for 14-16 hours will allow your body to reset your blood sugar level, in turn this allows your body to use fat as your fuel source, rather than carbohydrates. So, let’s say you stop eating and drinking at 10 PM at night, go for a nice little walk at 9-10 AM in the morning and you’re ready to start eating around12-2 in the afternoon. This way you’re resetting your body and fuel sources without having to say no to anything. (Read more on how to use intermittent fasting during the holidays in my latest blog here.)

I have used intermittent fasting for months now and the results are shocking. Personally, I am going to use a 12-14 hours fast window this Christmas, depending on what the day looks like. I would highly recommend using the 14-16 method if

2. You’re in control

Remember, you’re in control of what you’re eating at all times. If you don’t want to eat a certain dish or desert, than don’t. I totally understand that there is social/family pressure to eat everything that gets put in front of you, but you don’t have to. It’s just like any other meal throughout the year, if you don’t enjoy something, you’re probably not forcing yourself to eat it. Just because it’s the holidays and we have to deal with things like social pressure doesn’t mean we don’t have control.

3. Not everything is bad for you

Just because it’s Christmas doesn’t mean that everything you’re eating is bad for you. In most cases there is plenty of meat and different vegetables, involved. Just like the rest of the year, it’s the sugar that is really impacting our health and physique. Just because it’s the holidays doesn’t mean that meat and vegetables become unhealthy all of a sudden. If you’re enjoying loads of dishes that are meat or vegetable based, that’s what most people do throughout the year anyway so why worry about it now? Just because you might eat a little bit more? At the same time, eating more meat and vegetables-based meals are going to leave less room for the sugar filled deserts, snacks and pastries (but we all know, we’ll find a way to fit those in).

I hope that these tips help you get through the holidays without stressing too much, while maintaining your fitness and physique. Remember that the holidays are meant to be enjoyed, however you enjoy them is up to you.

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