THE ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR NAVIGATING YOUR NUTRITION THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS
With the holidays around the corner, there’s no doubt that our calendars will start to fill up with extra social events these next two months. Whether you’re at a family gathering, a work party, or a gift exchange with friends, there’s a good chance food will be involved.
So, what do you do?!
Do you resist every bite and sulk in the corner with your glass of water, or do you stuff yourself with every treat you see and promise yourself you’ll get back on track again tomorrow?
The obvious correct answer is neither of those things, but that’s easier said than done, especially as many of us have adopted an “all or nothing” mentality when it comes to our nutrition and fitness. This week’s post pulls together our most tried and true nutrition tips and tricks that we’ve shared with our clients over the years for how to approach the holidays while continuing to work towards your nutrition and fitness goals.
MATCHING YOUR GOALS TO YOUR EXPECTATIONS
Flexible Nutrition is about finding balance in your diet, and that means even during busy holiday months where our health and nutrition can be the last thing on our minds. Unless you know that an all-or-nothing approach is the best strategy for you, having an arsenal of strategies to help you stay on track in situations that are not totally in your control is key.
We know that in order to lose body fat, you must be in a calorie deficit (eating fewer calories than you are burning). Maintaining a calorie deficit can be hard work and isn’t meant to be a long term goal. When working towards fat loss goals, we should prioritize adherence to that deficit so we can meet our goals and then move on.
WE DO A DISSERVICE TO OURSELVES AND OUR GOALS WHEN WE SET EXPECTATIONS THAT DON’T MATCH OUR CIRCUMSTANCES.
An important question to ask yourself: Is it feasible for me to prioritize adherence to a calorie deficit over the holidays?
While it may be feasible for some, it most likely isn’t for the majority of us. Food is a huge part of our culture, our celebrations, and our time with family and we want the flexibility to enjoy more of that over these next few busy weeks.
SHIFTING TO MAINTENANCE FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Shifting your goals from losing fat to maintaining your fat loss can help combat negative effects of diet fatigue and can provide a mental and physical “reset” so that you can eventually return to fat loss mode with even better results in the long run. The holiday season is a perfect time to spend some time in maintenance mode because it can give you some added flexibility to loosen up on tracking and enjoy some of your favorite foods and family traditions. It also allows you to really focus on the habits and skills that you’ve been learning along the way and take some focus off of “calories in, calories out”.
While a maintenance phase is a great way to practice mindful eating and relying on your good habits, maintenance is not a complete departure from focusing on your nutrition and food choices. We especially don’t want a maintenance phase to slip from a confidence-building exercise and a break for your body into a “we’ll start over in January” situation. It is a calculated approach that allows you to eat more, practice flexibility, and build habits that allow you to move away from tracking for future periods of maintenance.
YOUR MAINTENANCE PHASE COULD LOOK LIKE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
Continuing to track your macros regularly, but eating more calories than usual (eating at maintenance)
Partially tracking your food, focusing on adequate protein and overall calorie intake
Not tracking at all, and relying on your rock-solid habits and being mindful of your food choices
ALL OF THESE APPROACHES ARE INTENDED TO HELP BUILD CONFIDENCE FOR WHAT YOUR NUTRITION WILL LOOK LIKE IN YOUR POST-TRACKING LIFE.
Maintenance periods are essential for being able to continue making progress. Taking breaks from eating at a deficit gives both your body and your brain a much-needed break. And while it may feel like a step backward or an unnecessary waiting period, it is actually an investment in making your future fat loss phases more efficient. It’s also an investment in your physical health, and a great way to combat burnout. Flexible nutrition isn’t just about being flexible in your food choices; it’s also about utilizing different strategies that all contribute to overall long-term success.
HOW TO TRACK YOUR MACROS THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS
TO TRACK OR NOT TO TRACK?
Food is more than a necessity of life; it is a source of entertainment and enjoyment and a means of connecting with others. The fact that you are being diligent about your nutrition doesn’t mean you need to miss out on all good meals. It does, however, mean that there may be some compromises to make on occasion (even if in maintenance mode). Before you head to a holiday party or family dinner take a minute to think about what you want out of the meal and what approach you should take:
Tracking is never perfectly accurate, even if we’re at home using a food scale and making our own food. Tracking apps are riddled with error and we will never track perfectly, which is kind of a sigh of relief! Knowing that the goal is never perfection in tracking our macros allows us to give ourselves a break and acknowledge the benefit of estimating our intake, even when eating out, eating with family, or eating foods where we have no idea what the nutritional value looks like. And remember that estimating is better than nothing! While you should not be a slave to your scale and your phone, continuing to log your food can be a helpful tool for staying on track. Even if you are just estimating, it will help you stay aware and accountable to your food choices, if it’s used as a tool not a restriction or obsession.
A FEW TIPS FOR USING TRACKING AS A HELPFUL TOOL TO ESTIMATE INTAKE:
PRE-LOG WHEN POSSIBLE
If you have a general idea of what your meal out or family dinner will look like, pre-log what you think you’ll be eating that night and work your day backwards from there. This will probably look like focusing on more protein earlier in the day so you can enjoy more calorie-dense treats later on without coming up too short on your protein target.
USE VOLUME MEASUREMENTS
Logging using food weight is always more accurate, but it can be harder to estimate the weight of your food when you’re not near a scale. Instead of logging the weight of your food, try logging volume measurements (½ cup cooked rice, 1 cup brussel sprouts, 2T teriyaki sauce, etc.) Using the palm of your hand to estimate portion sizes can be a helpful way to estimate volume measurements.
TAKE A PICTURE AND DO IT LATER
Snap a photo of your meal (make sure there’s a fork or your hand in there for scale) and log it later on. Having your face in your phone while out for a meal with friends or family is less than ideal, so take a picture and adjust your MFP entry once you’re back home later on, referring to the photo to remember all that you ate.
A MACRO-FRIENDLY HOLIDAY RECIPE: PUMPKIN FLUFF
This recipe is as easy as they get and will be the crowd-pleaser at your next holiday party. Serve it as a dip with pretzels or apple slices. Or use it as a spread. Our favorite is a caramel flavored rice cake with a thin layer of nonfat Greek yogurt cream cheese and a layer of pumpkin fluff!
PREP TIME: 5 minutes | MAKES: 30 servings
WHAT YOU NEED:
1 x 15oz. can pureéd pumpkin
1 x 8 oz. tub Cool Whip Lite, thawed
5g (1t) pumpkin pie spice
1 x 3.4 oz. package sugar free Jell-O cheesecake flavor instant pudding mix
WHAT TO DO:
In a mixing bowl or bowl of a stand up mixer, use a whisk to combine all ingredients until fully incorporated.
Beat on high speed for 30 seconds to achieve a fluffy texture.
MACROS PER (32g) SERVING: 0P | 1F | 6C
You can find the recipe in the MyFitnessPal database by searching:
“KLN Recipe: Pumpkin Fluff”.
Remember that managing your nutrition is about consistency over perfection and that means being able to enjoy the holidays without throwing away your goals or your progress. We should never feel so tied to tracking our macros that we can’t enjoy a meal out or a family dinner for fear it will “ruin” our macros. We use tracking as a tool to build awareness of our food choices, to create solid habits we can lean on when we’re out of routine, and to build skills and knowledge that allows us to navigate different phases of life.
We’re going to “mess up” at times. That may mean overeating your grandma’s favorite recipe, having a few too many drinks at a work party, or going a full weekend without a vegetable. It will happen but it’s far from the end of the world.
SHAKE IT OFF & MOVE ON
Down a few extra glasses of water and get right back to it the next day! Do not feel the need to restrict your intake the next few days or to add in any additional exercise. This will only set you up for a never ending cycle of restricting and binging. Treat the situation as a learning experience and make the next day better. Don’t let a bad day turn into a bad weekend, a bad week, or a bad season.
Find more macro-friendly recipes here or grab our free complete Holiday Guide for simple and streamlined meal prep recipes and ideas.
Check out these other holiday posts:
Holiday cocktails + your macros and alcohol
Macro-friendly Thanksgiving Recipes