It’s not easy to eat healthy, or even maintain weight, while the holidays are upon us. This is why so many people get their healthy eating back on track once Thanksgiving has passed. Below are some tips for sticking with a healthy lifestyle this month and beyond.

Drink Water

While it is important to drink water all the time, this is especially true after Thanksgiving. Holiday meals are full of sodium and fat, and drinking water helps detox the system in order to get it back on track. Additionally, thirst and hunger are hard to tell apart. Many times when we reach for food, it’s really just because we are somewhat dehydrated. Drinking a glass of water before each meal can prevent dehydration, which allows us to better navigate hunger and satiety signals.

Don’t Go with a Fad Diet - They Don’t Work

It seems to be human nature to be attracted to fad diets, which promise quick and easy results. The fact that the diet resulted in quick weight loss without meeting your nutritional needs can lead to regaining weight rapidly if you revert back to your old eating habits and, ultimately, to yo-yo dieting. And unfortunately, fad diets set the individual up for failure. When the diet fails, the dieters may blame themselves and develop a feeling of demoralization and hopelessness that they are unable to lose weight. This can make it harder to make the healthy changes needed for long-term weight loss. It’s best to steer clear of them entirely and instead opt for calorie controlled, balanced nutrition.

Be Realistic with Your Goals

Set realistic, safe goals for your post holiday diet. Don't overdo yourself or try to jump in too quick, the result could be dangerous. Focus on one change at a time a day for a week at a time and work forward from there each week. When you chip away a little at a time with your weight loss goals, you begin to see results as you add more and more to structure. If you do too much, too quick, you could be doing more harm than good!

Eat Lighter and More Frequent Meals

Incorporate more frequent, light meals to your daily diet to help keep your appetite at bay, give you an energy boost, speed up your metabolism, and help keep you in a better mood! If you're eating lighter meals at a more frequent consistency, you're giving yourself more to digest, which will help burn calories as well!

Take One-third Off

Most of us dine out more often when the holidays are upon us. When you eat dinner out, reduce the temptation to clean your plate by setting aside one-third of your meal. Ask the server for a doggie bag, and take it home for lunch the next day. Try serving yourself one-third less at home too. This simple tactic could subtract more than 500 calories a day.

Eating a healthy diet does take some planning and preparation and with these helpful tips, you will be able to kick start your post Thanksgiving diet easily which in turn can help improve your chances of success in the long run. Why not try Seattle Sutton's Healthy Eating? Our meal plans are created by registered dietitians and contain numerous health benefits, beyond just weight loss!