A guide to staying fit while still enjoying your favourite festival foods

The festive season is upon us, and with great Indian celebrations comes a whole lot of delicious food! High in sugar and loaded with calories, our favourite festive dishes can really throw off all the excellent progress we’ve been making with our fitness regimen. But what if we could “have our mithai and eat it too?” Thanks to our Smart Plan, now you can!

While it’s perfectly fine and even good to let loose during the celebratory season, it is totally possible to enjoy yourself without fully pausing your fitness journey. Notice the emphasis on the word “fully” here. As long as your well-deserved cheat meal doesn’t turn into a full-fledged cheat day, you will easily be able to maintain a balanced diet while also enjoying your favourite holiday treats! 

The key to making this work is to enjoy and not indulge. Relish the tastes you like without overdoing it. Easier said than done? Don’t worry, we’ve got your back. You’ll be able to breeze through it with these helpful tips and tricks to stay fit and fabulous through the holidays.

1. Eat Healthy Breakfast

It is super important not to skip breakfast! If you starve yourself for the first half of the day, it’s only natural that you will binge when presented with all those yummy dishes laid out before you. Furthermore, breakfast gives you a great energy boost to kick off the day, and it puts you in a better mood.

Read more: 5 Healthy Indian Breakfast Options

Be sure to eat a good amount of carbs and protein at the start of your day – the Smart Tracker will help you with the ideal proportions. In case you’re running short on time, or just feel like sleeping in because it’s a holiday, then a quick and healthy breakfast smoothie is just the answer. You can also opt for overnight oats or crunchy toast with peanut butter. Trust us, a good breakfast keeps the cravings in check, and a light breakfast will still leave you room to enjoy tasty treats in moderation.

2. Stay Hydrated

We all know by now that drinking ample water helps flush out toxins. But did you know that it also prevents overeating? Add a dash of lemon to your water to turn a normal thirst quencher into a mighty detox drink. Lemon water not only helps with detox but also prevents indigestion, so it will keep you in tip-top shape while you partake in festive snacking. A glass or two of detox water will help you maintain your health goals as well as keep you refreshed and energetic throughout the day.

3. Compensate

If you do waver, or even stray away from your customised diet, the Smart Plan will help you compensate for those unhealthy binges. For example, you can get back on track by sticking to your diet plan for the next day to make up for the binge. You can keep tracking your foods so that you can keep a watch on what you are bingeing on!

In fact, some of our users actually plan out an unhealthy binging session in advance! They can check their Smart Plan and plan their meals in advance to compensate for the junk meals they have had. See what we meant when we said you could get the best of both worlds?

Know all about the HealthifyMe Smart Plan here!

4. Be Realistic

During the festive season, you will have access to such a wide variety of deliciousness that it will be near-impossible to stick to a weight loss regimen. So be realistic with your goals. Aim to maintain your current weight rather than lose weight during these holidays. Try to choose the healthier option wherever possible and be active whenever you can. Do not ignore your set routine completely, but also make allowances for enjoyment.

5. Take Small Helpings

Remember what we said earlier – the key to making this work is to enjoy and not indulge. Now, this is where you need to be disciplined! While you should definitely relish your favourite treats, be sure to serve yourself smaller enjoyable portions rather than indulgent ones. A few hacks to doing this is to choose smaller plates to help with portion control. Avoid taking second helpings of high-calorie foods.

We do understand that your days will be filled with rituals and gatherings, making it hard not to sleep late (both at night and in the mornings). But if you can ensure that you get enough sleep, then your body will surely thank you by way of boosted metabolism. If possible, try to find time to exercise during the holiday mayhem. Sticking to the exercise regimen laid out by your Smart Plan will give you that extra push needed to shed any excess holiday weight.

Honestly, it is as easy as it sounds! With just a little discipline (don’t be a brat!) and some self-control, you’ll be able to enjoy all your festivities without compromising on all the wonderful progress you’ve made with your fitness. You can do it!