9 days.
9 days until presents are being torn open, families and friends are hugging around a fire, and delicious food is being cooked for gatherings.
If you have an Elf on the Shelf, 9 more days of finding out where it is going to wind up or what it is going to get into lol. But hey, that’s 9 more days closer till it goes back to the North Pole with Santa Claus.

I love seeing everyone’s traditions every holiday season – there are so many! Putting out reindeer food (glitter and oatmeal haha), leaving cookies and milk for Santa to snack on, the Christmas pickle, the key on the door for Santa if you don’t have a chimney, 12 days of Christmas, and so many more! I really do love seeing people spend time with the people they love the most during the holidays.
More than that, I love seeing people be able to do the things they love the most with the people they love the most all the time – not just once a year. That’s why I created Steel, to help people take back their health so they can do what they love with who they love all the time.
As we’ve grown at Steel, nutrition has become such a large addition to Strength Training. They go hand-in-hand with one another.
The holidays can be a bumpy spot for some people’s fitness journeys because of all the food and parties that come with them. I want to assure you that you can enjoy exactly what you want to enjoy – food and drink – and you don’t have to sacrifice any progress you have made.
Yes, it is actually possible to do so. If you want to know how, keep reading or watch this video below.
So, how do you eat what you want and not gain 20lbs this Christmas season?
- Treat Each Day as Its Own
- Follow Your Normal Plan
- Choose Meals, Days, or Events to Eat Freely
- How to Plan for Events
- How to Plan for Big Days
Treat Each Day as Its Own
Don’t just lump every day together under ‘the holidays’. Let each day be its own – just take it a day at a time.
You’re going to have a lot of days between now and the new year where you have a lot of events happening, but you are also going to have a lot of days where it’s completely normal. Those normal days will be bunched between holiday parties, and you should take advantage of them!
Eat normal on the in-between days!
Follow Your Normal Plan
Follow your normal plan up until it’s time for the meals, days, or events you specifically are allowing yourself to eat freely at.
I encourage you to eat all the Christmas cookies you want, but I also encourage you to not eat every Christmas cookie that walks by you. On those days where you have a break from holiday get-togethers, follow your normal eating routine!
Don’t let the little things – cookies at an office party – throw you off your nutrition plan.
Choose Meals, Days, or Events to Eat Freely
I challenge you to be intentional with the time you allow yourself to indulge in your favorite foods. Spending time with your family and friends is the best part of the holidays, but a close second is the good food!
That’s a huge part of enjoying life as a human. If you have 5, 10, 15 meals, days, or events that you know you’ll have good food at between now and the new year, enjoy them! I have a few tricks that can help you mitigate your calorie intake for those days and enjoy the food in front of you. Have your cake and eat it too if you know what I mean lol.
If you want to use them, great. If you don’t want to use them, also great. These are just some tips I have if you are interested in how to enjoy everything without sacrificing what you’ve created!
- Eat Normal Prior
- If you have a dinner that night, eat a normal breakfast and lunch. No need to go off the rails and eat a huge breakfast and lunch and then go to the dinner party.
- Intermittent Fasting
- I’m not saying you should do this if you’ve never done it, but if you have and you feel good and like the results you get from this you can also do this.
- Skip a meal during the day and load up your calories at the event you are wanting to eat at!
- Load Up on Protein First
- You’ll feel better and will have more energy by doing this. You’ll get to enjoy all the sides and sweets without the bloating and pain by doing this as well.
- Eat A Meal Before the Event
- If you are going to a get-together where there are just drinks and snacks, eat a meal before going. This will make you less hungry and will push you to not load up on the snack foods.
- Let’s be real, you aren’t going to feel too good if your dinner is alcohol, sides, and desserts.
Number One Rule
For the big days, you know, the days where you know you can go all out, eat all the best foods, there is one rule, and one rule only…………
Throw every rule out the window and enjoy all the food, all the family time, and all the fellowship.
There are only a handful of these days per year.
Wrap-Up
These are just a few tactics that you can play around with this holiday season. If you like them, great, if you don’t, you never have to use them again.
Just take advantage of the normal days, enjoy the big days with all the great foods, and you can rest assured you will not gain 20 lbs. this holiday season.
If you want nutrition guidance like this plus a personalized nutrition and strength training plan, Steel Strength Training is where you should be! We want to help you do the things you love with the people you love while loving who you see in the mirror!