4 Ways To Have Willpower During The Holidays

Oh, the holidays… That special time of year where everywhere you turn there are festive feasts, spiked drinks, and indulgent treats tempting your waistline. Before tempting you with anymore disloyal decadence, here are a few fantastic ways to take on the goody goody gumdrops without rolling into the new year looking like one. Here are 4 ways to have willpower during the holidays:

  1. Stay out of sight of the treat table. Instead of hovering over the array of unhealthy snacks, contemplating whether or not you should sneak in “just one”, try to just completely stay away. Let’s be honest, “just one” turns into pretty much everything but the kitchen sink! The best way to overcome temptation is to not be tempted in the first place. Play offense, not defense and just STAY AWAY. Divert your attention to socializing.
  2. Keep healthy options close and don’t show up to the party famished!  When your body is hungry, it is craving nutrients, not processed junk. Try to always keep healthy, nutrient-dense snacks like carrots, hummus or almonds close by.  The secret here is to never hit the point of “hangry” so you won’t feel tempted to eat the first thing in sight.
  3. In Trident We Trust. This is one of my all time favorites! When in doubt, pop a piece of minty fresh gum into your mouth. That’s right, Chew some gum to avoid temptations! Think about it, the last thing you will want to do is mix that minty fresh breath with food or drinks. It sounds crazy, but it will completely cut out your desire to want to consume anything else.
  4. Hips don’t lie. Be honest with yourself about the price of indulgence. Sometimes painting a realistic picture of the repercussions can be enough to cringe you away from the cookie tray. My secret? I use the if-then strategy. In other words, if I eat this entire bag of caramel M&M’s, then my stomach is going to hurt, my face is going to break out and I’ll have to make up for it by doing 1,000 squats tomorrow. Is it really worth it now? A little vanity can go a long way when it comes to the temptations to indulging.

My whole point in this blog, is not to defer you from experiencing the joys of celebrating the holidays with the ones you love, but rather to be able to take control of your temptations and do what you need to do in order to not over-indulge or feel terrible about yourself once you reach the New Year.

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Writer Bio

Jessica-Sykora-Personal-TrainerAs a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Performance Enhancement Specialist and a professional beach volleyball player with the AVP Beach Volleyball Tour, Jessica Sykora can’t help but share her passion for health and fitness with her clients. She offers in-home personal training sessions in Los Angeles including West LA, Santa Monica, Mid-City, Marina del Rey, and Southbay.

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