You’re loving the keto lifestyle and the way it makes you feel.
But the approaching holidays are making you more than a little nervous. This is your first holiday season on keto, and you’re wondering how to make it through without totally blowing your process.
We get it. We’ve been there.
That’s why we’ve put together our list of the top keto tips for the holidays. You’ll also find things to consider when it comes to off-keto holiday eating and where to get professional keto coaching to get you through the holiday season and beyond.
Table of Contents
- 3 Things To Consider About Off-Keto Holiday Eating
- 10 Tips for Rockin’ the Holidays on Keto
- Keto Fitness Coaching: Personalized Health and Fitness for the Holidays and Beyond
3 Things To Consider About Off-Keto Holiday Eating
#1: Are You Okay With a Setback?
If you are new to the keto lifestyle or are not yet as healthy as you want to be, eating off-plan for even one meal can make you feel horrible.
And, according to Julian Ribinik, founder of Keto Fitness Coaching, as little as one meal off plan may throw your progress back at least a week — and possibly up to a month.
Before you consider ditching keto at a holiday meal, decide if all the work you’ve invested in your health is worth a potential setback.
#2: Will You Be Able To Stop After the Holidays?
You know yourself — and your level of willpower and determination. Will going off keto during the holidays lead to a complete diet derailment?
If so, you may want to reconsider your holiday menu or come up with a strong plan for getting yourself back on track once the holidays are behind you.
#3: What’s Your Goal for the Holiday?
If you are thinking about deviating from Keto over the holidays, stop to consider exactly what it would take for you to truly enjoy this holiday season.
Is it all about the food? Is it reconnecting to your childhood memories? Or would you be content just enjoying the people?
If you discover your goal is to enjoy something other than holiday foods, it will be much easier to maintain your keto lifestyle while seeing the value in holiday traditions and friends and family.
If your goal for this holiday season is to stick with keto, Keto Fitness Coaching can help! Click below to find out more.
10 Tips for Rockin’ the Holidays on Keto
#1: Don’t Talk While You Eat
Believe it or not, this is a huge factor in controlling what you eat.
When you are talking and eating at the same time, you are generally unaware of how much you’re eating and can easily down an entire plate of food without really even tasting a single bite.
Your appetite is controlled by the volume of food and the appearance of food — not calories or nutrients. That means, if you want to control your appetite, you have to focus on what’s on your plate.
Imagine you’re watching a movie and have a bowl of popcorn in front of you. At some point in the movie, you realize your stomach is painfully stuffed, but you don’t remember downing an entire bowl of popcorn.
The same concept applies to talking while you are eating. Focusing on what’s on your plate (keto or not) helps you recognize when you’re full and keeps you from overeating.
#2: Choose a Small Plate
Did you know that the size of your plate may have a direct effect on the amount you eat and when you feel “full?”
Although further study is needed, some feel that If you have your food on a large plate, with plenty of space around the edges, you may not feel full once your plate is empty. On the other hand, if you put the same amount of food on a smaller plate, your stomach will sense you’re full and signal your brain to stop eating.
#3: Prioritize How You Eat
We all know the order of a fancy meal. First comes the appetizers, then the first course, followed by the second, and so on. What you may not know is that this order was created by restaurateurs — to get you to eat more food.
Small bites (appetizers) were designed to develop your appetite (Have you noticed that appetizers frequently consist of carby foods?) In essence, they stimulate your appetite, causing you to order more food than you actually need or can eat. Often we go ahead and eat it anyway until we eventually reach the point of feeling like we want to explode.
This holiday season, instead of diving into the appetizers, eat keto-smart. Start with a salad or even a protein-based main course. Chances are, by the time you finish it, you will be pleasantly full and won’t feel the need to further indulge.
#4: Don’t Eat Just To Eat
Have you ever eaten food just because it was there? Us too.
A great keto tip for the holidays is to decide ahead of time what foods sound best to you.
Add these foods to your plate and call it a meal. By making this decision ahead of time to eat with a purpose, you avoid deviating from your Keto plan and overeating.
#5: Know Your Weaknesses
What’s your food weakness? Is it gingerbread cookies? Your Aunt Mabel’s pecan pie? Or maybe mashed potatoes smothered in butter?
Whatever it (or they) may be, identify your weakness and come up with a plan to handle the temptation in a way that best supports your health goals. Do you want to allow yourself a certain amount of food? Or would your best bet be to just steer clear of it altogether?
If you decide to eat a bite, slice, or even a small bowl, allow yourself to enjoy the designated amount of your favorite holiday treat — without a lick of guilt.
On the other hand, if you know that once that first bite hits your lips there will be no stopping you, don’t even look in the offending food’s direction!
#6: Ignore the Haters
Politics, religion, and the keto lifestyle. Three topics that are almost guaranteed to spike blood pressure at even the most civil holiday gathering.
Your family and friends might think being keto is a little over the top — especially when they find out you’re sticking to your lifestyle over the holidays. They just may not get it.
And that’s okay. You know your body and how amazing you feel when you stick with your keto plan.
It can be helpful to take some time ahead of the holidays to think about how you will respond to any possible negative comments. Consider saying something like, “I know you love me and want me to feel my very best. I’m working with a health coach who created this plan just for me. Your support means so much!”
And if they ask, don’t be afraid to tell your friends and family about all the healthy foods you can eat, like green veggies, fresh meat, seafood, and poultry.
Ignore the haters and stay strong. You can do this!
#7: Enact the Buddy System
If you think it might be tough to stick with keto for the holidays, finding a diet buddy might be just the answer you’re looking for.
You and your accountability partner can help keep each other focused, share tempting keto recipes, and provide the motivation you need to stay on plan.
And if you’re unable to find a buddy who’s doing Keto, having an accountability partner who is committed to staying true to their unique dietary commitment through the holiday season will work almost as well.
#8: Make a Keto Contribution
Are you afraid of breaking keto at a holiday meal? An easy keto tip for holiday meals is to bring a dish that is safe for you to eat.
A few ideas for the perfect keto contribution include:
- A side dish of broccoli or Brussels sprouts
- A keto pumpkin pie
- Mashed cauliflower (instead of mashed potatoes)
- A simple green salad with vinaigrette dressing
- Keto Candy Cane Pie; or
- Almond Flour Sugar Cookies
And who knows? Your dish may be such a hit, you’re even asked to share your recipe!
#9: Take the Focus Off Food
Okay, let’s be honest. For most of us, food is a huge part of our holiday celebrations.
But when you stop to think, you’re likely to realize there is really so much more to enjoy during this special time of the year.
Instead of zeroing in on holiday foods, try focusing on your friends and family, along with your favorite holiday traditions.
Take the time to enjoy special things like:
- Decorating for the season
- Sentimental movies
- Family games; or
- Holiday shopping
#10: Have a Plan for Getting Back on Track
If you go off keto during the holidays — whether for just one dessert, a full meal, or a total derail — you will want to have a plan for getting yourself back into the keto groove. And this needs to be done in the healthiest way possible!
The best way to combat low energy and get back on track in a way that benefits both your body and health includes:
- Drinking plenty of water
- Upping your fat intake
- Intermittent fasting; and
- Slowly decreasing your carbs
Keto Fitness Coaching: Personalized Health and Fitness for the Holidays and Beyond
Whether you’re new to the keto way of life or are just needing accountability and support to make it through the holidays, Keto Fitness Coaching can help.
At Keto Fitness Coaching, our goal is to help you create a healthier, happier you.
We work with you to develop a personalized plan for each client that’s designed to:
- Give you the tools you need to be healthy for the rest of your life
- Eliminate inflammation in your body; and
- Develop a strong, lean, muscular body
And we have coaching options to meet every lifestyle, including:
- One-time consultation with a certified keto nutritionist
- Custom macronutrients (macros) calculation
- Continuous coaching with a certified keto coach
And since our keto lifestyle coaching sessions are online, they’re accessible anywhere in the world.
Your first coaching session is absolutely free. Contact us today and learn how you can feel great throughout the holidays and for the rest of your life.
The content in this blog should not be used in place of direct medical advice/treatment and is solely for informational purposes.
