NIFS Healthy Living Blog

Another year is wrapping up, and you’ve made great progress toward your goals. Maybe you’ve seen improved strength, increased endurance, higher energy levels, or you’re simply feeling happier with your personal growth. Reaching our goals helps build self-efficacy — the belief in our own resources and abilities to succeed. Whether you’ve hit a new mile time, lifted heavier weights, eaten salads for lunch every day, or established a consistent sleep schedule, you’ve developed confidence in your ability to maintain these habits.

As the holidays approach, though, you might be worried about cookies, festive meals, holiday drinks, and family gatherings derailing your progress. We’ve all been there, feeling like we’ve taken two steps back during those two festive weeks. This season often shifts our focus away from ourselves and more toward giving, sharing, and celebrating with others.

Don’t Let Setbacks Spoil the Eggnog

Success in taking steps toward your goals builds resilience, making it easier to bounce back if you face setbacks. And let’s face it, setbacks are inevitable. Those who live an active and healthy lifestyle often develop a high level of resilience, but for those just beginning their fitness journey, recovering momentum after the holidays can feel like a challenge.

Sometimes, the extra cookies “Santa ate” make it a bit harder to get back on track. But if we approach the holiday season with positivity and resilience, we’ll be less discouraged by the time we’ve taken away from our routines. Remember, your past successes prove that you’re capable of achieving your goals again.

Deck the Halls, But Don’t Overdo It

This holiday season, try using self-regulation to stay on track. Self-regulation is all about managing your choices and behaviors when faced with distractions or competing priorities. The holidays bring plenty of distractions, making it easy to stray from your wellness habits. But by planning ahead, you can balance holiday cheer with healthy decisions.

Here are some examples of self-regulation:

• Enjoy that extra serving, but balance it out. If you had a big holiday dinner, try eating a lighter breakfast the next morning or going for a walk with family.
• Plan for your indulgences. If you know a big meal is coming, consider fitting in a workout earlier in the day to offset the extra calories.
• Adapt your weekly routine. If you can’t fit in your usual sessions, try to maintain one or two to preserve your strength and endurance.
• Prioritize nutrient-dense foods. Choose protein-rich meals and vegetables over sugary or high-fat options when possible.
• Make adjustments as needed. Track your daily intake and balance calories where you can.

Planning in a Winter Wonderland

The best way to overcome common holiday barriers is to plan ahead. When you’re in the maintenance stage of a behavior, planning your response to potential obstacles boosts your chances of staying on track.

Before the holiday season begins, create a list of events, meals, treats, gatherings, and time constraints that might interfere with your progress. By identifying these in advance, you’ll be better prepared to moderate your decisions and keep moving forward without feeling overwhelmed.

The Gift of Support

During the season of giving, you also have the added benefit of being surrounded by family, friends, and peers. These support systems can play a big role in helping you stick to your habits while adding to your happiness.

Lean into this support! Invite a family member to join you for a workout at home instead of stepping away for 45 minutes at the gym. Try baking healthier holiday treats together or swapping out traditional dishes for more nutritious alternatives.

Social support makes it easier to maintain your habits by fostering a positive environment and adding fun and interaction to your routine. Plus, involving your friends and family in your healthy lifestyle could inspire them to adopt some of these habits too!

NIFS is offering a new FREE challenge to help you stay on track this holiday season – the Holiday Hustle Challenge! Sign up today and make this holiday season your healthiest yet!

The holiday season is here, and Thanksgiving often marks the beginning of celebrations focused on family, food, and gratitude. While it’s a time to enjoy yourself, it can also present challenges if you’re trying to stick with healthy habits. The good news is that you don’t have to choose between enjoying the holiday and maintaining your wellness goals. With a few thoughtful approaches, you can do both!

Stay Active with Family Fun

Thanksgiving traditions don’t have to be confined to the dinner table. Incorporate movement into your holiday plans by organizing family-based activities that get everyone outdoors. A short walk after the big meal can aid digestion and provide a chance to connect in a different setting. You might also consider starting a new tradition, like a family hike or a friendly game of touch football in the backyard. Not only does this add a layer of fun, but it also helps balance out the indulgence of the holiday meal.

Enjoying Food Without Guilt

Thanksgiving is about more than food—it’s about spending time with loved ones and creating lasting memories. The key to balancing enjoyment with health is mindful eating, which lets you savor your favorite dishes guilt-free. Mindful eating encourages you to slow down and truly appreciate each bite. Pay attention to the flavors, textures, and aromas of the food, and listen to your body’s hunger and fullness cues. Take smaller portions to start, and go back for seconds if you’re still hungry. By eating mindfully, you can fully enjoy your meal, indulge in your favorite foods, and still feel good about your choices. Remember, this is a time to celebrate and connect with family, so let food be part of that experience, not something to stress over.

Structuring Your Plate for Balance

One way to enjoy the feast while keeping balance in mind is by being strategic about how you fill your plate. Start by prioritizing vegetables and lean proteins, which help keep you satisfied longer. Roasted vegetables, green beans, and salads are excellent choices alongside turkey or other protein sources. Aim for a colorful plate, with about half filled with veggies, a quarter with protein, and the last quarter reserved for your favorite indulgent foods, like mashed potatoes, stuffing, or that slice of pie you’ve been looking forward to.

Thanksgiving is an opportunity to celebrate family and food, and with a few thoughtful choices, you can make the most of both. By staying active through family-friendly activities and building a balanced plate, you’ll leave the table feeling good—both physically and emotionally. After all, the real focus of the holiday should be on making memories, and that’s something you can’t put on a plate.

Knowing the importance of exercise and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is always positive progress to becoming your best self, but getting your family and friends on board with this commitment can be a challenging task. If you want to encourage your loved ones to incorporate exercise into their daily routines, here are some tips and strategies to help you motivate them.

• Lead by example: Setting a positive example is the most powerful way to inspire others. Demonstrate your commitment to a healthy lifestyle by consistently engaging in exercise and making nutritious choices. They may be more inclined to follow suit after seeing your dedication to working on yourself and your lifestyle.
• Make it fun: Other people might see exercise as a chore; however, it can be an enjoyable activity. Encourage your family and friends to participate in activities they genuinely enjoy, whether it's dancing, hiking, playing a sport, or even trying out new fitness classes together. Fun makes fitness sustainable!
• Set realistic goals: Help your loved ones establish achievable fitness goals. Whether it’s running a certain distance, losing a specific amount of weight, or improving overall health, having clear objectives can motivate them to stay on track.
• Create a supportive environment: Foster an environment that encourages exercise. Create a home gym space, stock up on healthy snacks, and incorporate active outings into your social plans. Surrounding your loved ones with opportunities for fitness makes it more likely they'll join in.
• Educate and share information: Share articles, videos, and success stories related to fitness and its benefits. Knowledge can empower your loved ones to make informed decisions about their health. Offer to answer questions and provide guidance when needed.
• Be flexible: Recognize that everyone's fitness journey is unique. Be open to adapting to their preferences and schedules. Encourage them to find a routine that works for them rather than imposing your own.
• Hold each other accountable: Partner up with family and friends for workouts. Exercising together provides motivation because you're less likely to skip a session if someone is counting on you. Consider friendly fitness challenges or competitions to keep things interesting.
• Celebrate achievements and use incentives: Celebrate their milestones, no matter how small. Whether it's completing a week of consistent workouts or reaching a fitness goal, acknowledging their achievements reinforces their commitment. You can use incentives like a post-workout treat, a movie night, or a small reward for reaching specific goals to act as short-term motivators.

It’s important to always remember that the journey toward a healthier lifestyle is personal and unique for everyone. Your role is to provide support, encouragement, and a positive environment. Ultimately, the decision to embrace exercise and a healthier lifestyle lies with your loved ones, but your influence can be a powerful catalyst for positive change. By using these strategies, you can help them take those crucial first steps toward a happier, healthier life.

This blog was written by Deveon Martin, NIFS Health Fitness Specialist. To learn more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.

With the holidays coming up, it can be easy to get caught up in the busyness of it all. From Thanksgiving to Christmas, we are bombarded with festive meals, holiday parties, sweet treats, and family gatherings that simply interrupt our normal routine. The holiday season is one of the most difficult times to stay motivated to be healthy. Not to mention the fact that it is several degrees cooler and I would rather hibernate than go out to the gym. Plus, many of us travel to visit family and friends and we are just not close to our gym.

I know that I personally struggle with all of these things, especially because the food around the holiday time is absolutely my favorite. To really get myself into the right mindset, I follow these five tips to make sure I can keep my health and fitness at the level I want it to be at.

1. Maintain the right mindset.

Staying motivated won’t be possible unless you start out with the right mindset. Go into the holiday season determined and dedicated. Do not make excuses when it comes to working out. Make sure that it is really a priority for you and something that is attainable.

2. Make a schedule.

Making a plan and workout schedule ahead of time will make it a lot more difficult to make excuses when the time comes. If you are prepared, you are more likely to get it done. Take a look at your schedule and write down the times that you will be able to get in your workout session.

3. Make it a family activity.

If you are struggling to find the time to balance working out and also spending time with your family, make getting exercise a family activity. For example, my family goes out and walks together, takes fun exercise classes together, and even runs fun holiday-themed 5Ks together. Not only are we working out, but we are making memories as well.

4. Switch up your normal workout.

You can add new exercises to keep it new and exciting. You are less likely to get bored with something that you are working on improving. You can also include more HIIT workouts that will help you achieve a lot in a short amount of time.

5. Know that you don’t always need a gym.

During the holidays, you are more than likely going to be traveling a lot and may not be by a gym. Doing body-weight exercises or using at-home items to lift can be a useful temporary solution when you are away. Try some of these exercises and workouts.

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Even though it's the season of giving, be sure to not give yourself a hard time. Some days a workout just won’t happen, and you may find yourself consuming more calories. We have to remember to be gracious to our minds and our bodies. Being too strict on yourself can cause you to burn out and even create unhealthy habits. Make sure you understand your balance so that you can live your best life.

Happy Holidays and Happy Fitness!

This blog was written by Emily Lesich, NIFS Health Fitness Specialist. To learn more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.