Hello November! Time to start gearing up for Thanksgiving already! Are you hosting this year? I am so excited to host! I'm going to be posting some recipes for you guys over the weekend you may want to make for your friends and family! You can always find lots of inspiration on my Instagram account in the meantime.
The holidays are filled with so many fun activities with family and friends. You may be wondering, "how can I avoid that fluffy feeling this season?"
1) Don't stress
Don't stress over your favorite holiday treats and meals here and there. Take a deep breath and trust me, it's not going to make that much of a difference! 'Tis the season! It's part of our culture. Don't feel like you have to miss out on your favorite holiday dessert or meal. Have a little bit of the stuff that's not-so-great for you, and just move on. Balance it with lots of fruits and veggies, which are loaded with vitamins, minerals and nutrients to nourish your body and keep that metabolism on fire!
2) Stay active
We're all running around during the holidays, but let's not forget to schedule time to do some yoga, lift some weights, do some laps in the pool, take a walk, or attend your favorite fitness classes! Get active before attending your big holiday meals in case you fall into that food coma. Even if you have to wake up at 5 or 6 am to go, do it! It will give you energy to deal with all your crazy family members, and more importantly, it will keep that metabolism burning throughout the day to digest all that food! Go again the day after your holiday parties too! The main goal is to keep your metabolism up and burning, not to just "burn fat or calories." Working out and being active 3-4 times a week consistently is a great goal to work towards and maintain.
3) Eat up!
Keep eating 5-6 times a day to keep that metabolism burning. However, this doesn't mean have 6 meals of turkey, stuffing, cranberries and mashed potatoes the way your grandma makes all of this. It does mean eating real, whole foods 5-6 times a day of nutrient-dense foods. Eating less, then binging at your holiday meal will only stall your metabolism. The "I just need to eat less to lose weight" simply isn't an effective plan.
4) Self-love
Show yourself some self-love this holiday season. Relaxing in a lavender bubble bath with a DIY organic exfoliating scrub and a detox face mask is always a good idea! Meditation and an early bedtime will assist in some much needed beauty rest. Maybe your self-love will be a little more indulgent like treating yourself to a hot stone massage or a facial. Self-love can also be splurging a little on healthy food staples to have on hand in your home. A new workout outfit is also a great way to get and stay motivated! Yoga classes, nutritional counseling, and of course online training or personal training is most certainly self-love.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving and holiday season my friends!
Love and light,
Laura