Holiday decorating, gift wrapping, epic meals and special traditions… year-end routine disruptors can make skipped workouts, overeating, and weight gain feel inevitable. Good news: They don’t have to be.
That’s why I put together this Holiday Survival Guide.
It’s packed with the tips and tricks we use to help Precision Nutrition Coaching clients prioritize health, fitness, and nutrition no matter what life—including the holidays—throw at us.
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Life can be calm and collected.
Or it can be frenetic and stressful (oh hey, 2024).
The holiday season almost always offers a dose of the latter.
Indeed, my wife and I have four children—although it sometimes sounds like 97 of them—plus big extended families who like to visit for the festivities.
Oh, you should see our house.
Boxes of decorations to put up, bits of craft projects stuck to every surface, groceries to be put away, meals to be cooked and eaten, towels to be washed, and some really excited kids to be bathed and tucked in for sleep.
It’s really fun and it challenges our preferred eating and exercise schedules.
Yet, over the years, we’ve gotten really good at eating and exercising how we want, even during the holidays.
(There are some modifications, of course. And—don’t worry—lots of Christmas cookies.)
I’ve passed these strategies along to our Precision Nutrition Coaching clients to help them get the most health and fitness—along with fun and joy—out of their own holiday seasons.
And, today, I get to share this “Holiday Survival Guide” with you.
At Precision Nutrition we often say that your food and fitness strategies should be designed for your most hectic days—not just the easy, or perfect, ones.
So use these five, free, downloadable infographics (plus one short article) to eat and move more intentionally during the holiday season. I promise you’ll be feeling strong, confident, and in control no matter how frantic your days.
Holiday Survival Tool #1
Article: Eat slowly and to “satisfied” instead of “stuffed”
The most effective (and sanity-preserving) tool for holiday eating may also be the simplest one: Eat slowly. (And stop at “satisfied”, instead of “stuffed”).
This strategy helps you avoid overeating for two main reasons:
- Physiological
It takes 15-20 min for your digestive system to let your brain know that you’re satisfied. Slowing down a meal allows that to happen before you overeat.
- Psychological
When you slow down, “sense into”, and savor your food, you feel content with much less. This means you’ll eat less but enjoy what you’ve eaten more.
Indeed, when eating slowly (and stopping at “satisfied” instead of “stuffed”) you can try all the delicious foods on Grandma’s buffet without guilt or needing to “work it off later”.
For tips on how (and why) to eat slowly during holiday food fests, check out our full article on the topic, All about eating slowly.
Holiday Survival Tool #2
Infographic: How to stay in shape when you’re busy
It’s one of the most common patterns we see among incoming Precision Nutrition Coaching clients: Folks who want to get (and/or stay) fit will exercise diligently for months, only to get derailed by the holidays and “fall off the wagon” for the entire year.
That’s why we came up with this simple workout, which you can do no matter where the holidays take you.
This plan takes only a few minutes a day, it requires minimal or no equipment, and it focuses on compound exercise (big muscles, big movements) which makes it very effective when you want a good movement session but have limited time.
To sneak in quick, effective workouts this holiday season, check out How to stay in shape when you’re busy [Infographic].
Holiday Survival Tool #3
Infographic: Eating well on the go.
The end of the year has most people bouncing around among errands, tasks, and special traditions more than usual.
When you’re on the go, it can feel like navigating a nutritional minefield: Hunger signals overpowering, junk food everywhere, little time to sit down and eat your veggies.
Challenging, of course, but not impossible. With smart strategies you can eat well on the go no matter where life takes you.
To learn how to maintain your nutrition habits even while running around this holiday season, check out 25 ways to eat well on the go [Infographic].
Holiday Survival Tool #4
Infographic: How (and why) to make the perfect Super Shake
What’s a Super Shake? It’s a nutrient-packed, delicious, liquid meal that you can whip up and drink while you help a 4-year-old glue googly eyes on felt reindeers.
You see, letting yourself get too hungry is one of the best ways to end up over-drinking and overeating. And during the holidays, you don’t always have the time to prep a nice, balanced plate of protein, veggies, fruit, and healthy fats.
Since Precision Nutrition Super Shakes include all four, they’re satisfying + nourishing. And they’re really easy to make.
For quick, healthy, filling, multitasking-friendly liquid meals, check out How (and why) to make the perfect Super Shake [Infographic].
Holiday Survival Tool #5
Infographic: The best calorie control guide
Want to get through the holidays without losing strength? Without gaining extra weight and body fat? That’s all possible.
Sure, it’ll feel difficult with all that calorie-dense food in front of you. But your health can survive another year of Mom’s mostly-butter mashed potatoes and Aunt Marie’s pumpkin bourbon cheesecake if you just eat slowly and pay attention to portions.
No, no… not calorie counting. That’s often annoying, impractical, and inaccurate, especially at Christmas dinner. So try our “hand measure” system instead.
To learn how to use your hands to measure the best portions for you, check out The best calorie control guide [Infographic].
Holiday Survival Tool #6
Infographic: 3 steps for prepping (and loving) your veggies
Another effective strategy to avoid gaining weight and body fat during the holidays? Eat lots and lots of veggies. They’re water-dense, calorie-sparse, and full of the nutrients you need to keep your energy and mood up for holiday party #17.
The only problem? Many folks don’t love the taste of veggies, especially compared to ultra-palatable holiday food.
That’s why we recruited our top food magicians to create a simple 3-step formula for prepping healthy veggies in a way that’s delicious enough for a banquet table. Trust me, these have converted even the most hardcore veggie-phobes.
To cook lots of healthy, delicious veggies this season check out 3 steps for prepping (and loving) your veggies [Infographic].
Want help becoming the healthiest, fittest, strongest version of you?
Most people know that regular movement, eating well, sleep, and stress management are important for looking and feeling better. Yet they need help applying that knowledge in the context of their busy, sometimes stressful lives.
Over the past the past two decades, we’ve used the Precision Nutrition Coaching method to help over 150,000 clients lose fat, get stronger, and improve their physical and mental health… for the long-term… no matter what challenges they’re dealing with.
It’s also why we work with health, fitness, and wellness professionals (through our Level 1 and Level 2 Certification programs) to teach them how to coach their own clients through the same challenges.
Interested in Precision Nutrition Coaching? Join the presale list now. You'll get a free gift today, save up to 54%, and have the chance to secure a spot 24 hours early.
We’ll be opening up spots in our next Precision Nutrition Coaching on Tuesday, January 14th, 2025.
If you're interested in coaching and want to find out more, join the presale list below. Being on the list gives you three special advantages.
- You’ll pay less than everyone else. Join the presale list and you’ll save up to 54% off the general public price.
- You’re more likely to get a spot. To give clients the personal care and attention they deserve, we only open up the program twice a year. By joining the presale list you’ll get the opportunity to register 24 hours before everyone else, increasing your chances of getting in.
- You’ll get a free gift—plus an inside look at the program. When you join the presale list today, we’ll send you a free 35-page ebook: Your Best Nutrition Starts Here—a complete guide to building a health plan for your body, goals, and lifestyle (no calorie-counting or restrictive dieting required). Plus, you'll get our new Enrollment Packet, giving you an inside look at the PN Coaching program, complete with stories from past clients who’ve overcome huge obstacles and achieved the transformation of their dreams, and more.
If you’re ready to change your body, and your life, with help from the world’s best coaches, this is your chance.
[Note: If your health and fitness are already sorted out, but you’re interested in helping others, check out our Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification program].
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