5 Ways to Reestablish Healthy Habits
“First and foremost, be kind to yourself,” says Colleen Tewksbury, PhD, MPH, RD, an assistant professor in nutrition science at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Be careful not to let weight gain affect your self-worth, willpower, or morale, Dr. Tewksbury says.
“It is completely normal to have weight fluctuations throughout the year,” Tewksbury says — including over the course of a well-enjoyed holiday season. “The key is that you’re tracking the trends and intervening early if it is a consistent trend upward over time.”
Instead of strict dieting, try these five strategies to gently reengage with the habits that support your health.
1. Go in With a Game Plan
Planning ahead can reduce stress and help you make choices that feel good. Strategies like self-monitoring (keeping an eye on how you’re feeling and what you’re eating) are effective for maintaining balance during the holidays.
A registered dietitian will provide additional support and guidance. Studies have found that people who use the services of an RD are more likely to achieve weight loss success.
2. Check In With Yourself
For some people, stepping on the scale can be a helpful, neutral data point.
Badaracco notes that this can offer “positive reinforcement when you’re successful.” But this tool isn’t for everyone. If you have a history of disordered eating or find the scale triggers anxiety, skip it and focus on how your body feels instead.
3. Return to Your Routines
Once the holidays are over, it’s time to resume your healthy eating habits. When something is a habit, it’s almost mindless and instinctive to do. Those who formed new healthy habits and broke old, unhealthy ones were 2.4 times more likely to achieve clinically beneficial weight loss than those in the control group, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis.
4. Buddy Up
When people are contending with weather that urges us to stay indoors and are experiencing a post-holiday slump, it can be especially helpful to create goals with others, says Badaracco. Whether you want to embark on Dry January (or extend it to February and beyond) or start hitting the gym again, a partner can keep you accountable so that you both see results.
Schedule workouts with a buddy, have walking meetings at work, or swap healthy recipes with a pal. “It makes the activity so much more enjoyable, and you look forward to it,” says Badaracco. It can be done virtually with fitness- or nutrition-tracking apps, too. Or use a notebook to keep a log to be your own accountability buddy.
5. Give Yourself Grace
The holiday season is generally defined as a six-week stretch, so don’t expect to feel back to normal overnight. “It’s more important and effective to set small, manageable goals,” Badaracco says. “Planning to go for a 15-minute walk three times a week might not seem like much, but it’s a small win that can propel you forward. Then you can gradually increase the goal.”
Taking it slow is also safer and more sustainable. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a gradual, steady approach to weight loss (about 1 to 2 lb per week) for the best long-term success.
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