It’s great to relax during the holidays, but sadly at some point you do have to face reality and get back to normality. Here are some ways to get back on track with your weight loss goals after the holidays.

Relish the fresh start

Sure, New Year’s Resolutions have a bad reputation, but there’s nothing wrong with setting them and taking advantage of that ‘new year, new me’ feeling. You’ve just gotta be realistic about it: 2025 probably isn’t going to be the year you become a professional athlete or hone an eight pack where your beer belly used to be.

Set realistic, attainable goals and focus on the reasons you want to accomplish them for a fresh boost of motivation. The hope a new year brings is something to relish and take advantage of, so leave your cynicism at the door.

Get back to normal as soon as you can

If the holidays have mainly been about food (and lots of it), it can feel hard to say goodbye to eating your body weight in candy on a daily basis. You might have a lot of holiday food leftover after Christmas, and that’s fine, but slowly returning to your old healthier favorites can go a long way to making you feel like you’re getting back on track.

Remember that the longer you leave it, the harder it’ll be to stop overindulging, and the more work you’ll have to put in to get back to where you were.

Do some activity

We tend to feel sluggish after the holidays, mostly down to overeating but also because we tend to be less active than usual. It’s great to have a break and you shouldn’t feel guilty about it, but starting to move your body a bit more when the holidays are over will help you get back to healthy habits.

If you’re not ready for anything too strenuous (and we don’t blame you!), go for a few gentle walks to get back into the swing of things.

Give your body a break

If you’ve had a lot of alcohol over the holidays, give your body a break for a few weeks by cutting the booze out. What about taking part in Dry January? It’s a month-long alcohol-free challenge which started in the UK but has since become popular around the world.

The rules are simple: no alcohol for one month. There are many benefits to passing on the alcohol: you’ll cut calories, have more energy, be better hydrated, and you’ll save money. Check out Dry January’s US site for more info.

Don’t deprive yourself

One thing that makes overindulging worse is trying to compensate for it by undereating. It might seem like it makes sense, but binging following by restricting is a vicious cycle that’s hard to break free from. It’ll just make you more likely to eat more, as you’ll get too hungry and want to eat everything in sight,

Instead, just draw a line under any holiday indulgences and focus on nourishing your body. It’s perhaps a cliché, but eating healthy, balanced meals that satisfy your hunger is the best thing you can do to get back on track. Make a meal plan, do a healthy grocery shop, and try your best. Don’t beat yourself up if it takes longer to get back to normal eating than you’d like, just keep trying and most importantly: don’t quit.

Christmas can be a really stressful time of year, which can have a detrimental effect on your mental health.

There are so many expectations placed on us at Christmas. There’s a lot of pressure to get everything right, from how you decorate and what presents and food you buy to how much fun you have at Christmas events. That’s before we even get to the expectation of friction-free family relations.

It’s a lot and can ruin your enjoyment of what is, at its core, a lovely occasion meant to bring us all closer. Yes, even if you do spend most of it arguing with extended family.

So, what can you do to protect your mental health at this time of year?

Shun expectations

If you watch too many Hallmark movies, you’ll find yourself thinking you need to drape your house in festive lights, buy everyone impressively wrapped (and v.expensive) gifts, and spend the entire month attending various Christmas events.

In a word: no. Real life isn’t like that, and what’s more, it doesn’t have to be!

Forget the need to make everything picture-perfect. Unless you’re an Instagram influencer, don’t sweat it. Do what makes you and your family happy even if it doesn’t measure up to Hallmark standards.

Do what you want

In the same vein, do whatever the hell you want to do this festive season. Don’t want to attend your workplace’s Christmas party? Don’t go! Don’t want to wear a Christmas jumper? Then don’t! Ok, so written down like this does sound a little bah, humbug, but you get the idea – you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. This time of year is stressful enough without forcing yourself to join in when you really don’t want to.

Set your boundaries

While we say you can pick and choose what you want to do, we know that sometimes it doesn’t feel that way. This is especially true when it comes to family, who often demand our time when it’s not convenient, especially around the holidays. This can come with a whole set of new expectations, just to pile on the pressure, like hosting and cooking for a large group or spending time and money travelling for visits.

If you feel comfortable, just say you’re planning on having a quiet holiday season at home after a busy year. You don’t need to explain any more than that – be clear about what you want to do so there’s no confusion.

If you feel like you can’t turn down invitations, try dialling down the pressure by buying pre-cooked meals to share, or doing cheap things like going for a walk to check out festive decorations instead of going to costly events.

Plan ahead

If you know there are things coming up that you find tough, try and plan for them as best as you can. For example, if crowds stress you out but you promised the kids you’d take them to a busy Christmas event, plan how you’ll cope: things like going early if you can, stopping for plenty of breaks, and leaving when you’re unlikely to get stuck in traffic might make you feel better about it.

Be open with family and friends about how you feel, as talking about what’s going on in your head can help.

Get some space

If you do feel overwhelmed, stressed, or low over the holiday period, that’s ok. It doesn’t mean you’ve failed, and you should never compare your own feelings to someone else’s seemingly perfect social media posts.

Step away from the chaos if you can by going to an empty room (even the bathroom will do for a few minutes of peace). Take a deep breath and try and do some mindfulness exercises, as they really do help to calm you, despite how awkward you might feel doing them.

Try this:

Sit comfortably, then breathe in for a count of four, then breathe out for a count of six or eight, and repeat as many times as you feel necessary.

The long exhales will help settle your heart rate and blood pressure, which will help you feel less frazzled.

If it all goes wrong…

If the holidays do end up impacting your wellbeing and you wake up feeling hopeless and completely drained, try not to worry. If you know it’s linked to holiday-specific situations, like overbearing in-laws overstaying their welcome or family arguments, try and focus on when things return to normal. It won’t be much longer before it’s all in your rearview mirror.

But if you’ve been feeling low for a while and the holidays have made it worse, consider making an appointment to see a doctor in the new year. They’ll be able to talk through options for improving your mood, and getting the ball rolling is a positive step.

If things do get too much, don’t suffer alone. You can call the 988 mental health emergency hotline, which will connect you to a crisis counsellor. There are many other helplines you can call, find a helpful list here, although be sure to check their opening hours over Christmas.

Love Christmas? Us too, but it can be a tough time of year when you’re trying to lose weight. Here are our top 10 tips to enjoy Christmas without compromising your goals.

Break it down

The period in between Thanksgiving and New Year’s will no doubt be full of more celebrations than the rest of the year, which is part of what makes this time of year feel so difficult when it comes to losing weight. The trick? Don’t eat in excess too often.

Enjoy yourself when it’s an occasion to celebrate, but in between parties or gatherings do your best to maintain your usual healthy habits: eating well, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep. For example, you can by all means give it a try, but you don’t need a Christmas Starbucks drink every time you pass by one.

Know your limits

You want to have a good time (and we want you to have a good time!), but be aware that the festive period can be an excuse to drink more than usual and to overindulge on rich food. Do this too much and you’ll end up feeling fatigued, heavy, and may suffer from indigestion or bloating. Try to take it slow, as you’ll feel so much better for it.

Be mindful

If you’ve got a party later, it’s worth adjusting your daily diet accordingly. We don’t mean skipping meals, as going into a celebration so hungry that you want to eat everything in sight just sets you up for disaster but just be wary of what and how much you eat in the lead up. Eat meals that are high in protein to keep you feeling nicely satisfied and pay attention to your appetite.

Discreetly decline

It’s ok to say no. Yes, people do tend to take offence at this time of year (how many times do people say ‘but it’s Christmas!’ as an excuse for justifying overindulgence?), but if you’ve been trying to lose weight and improve your health all year and you don’t want to start reversing your progress, just say no. No one can force you to eat anything you don’t want to.

Indulge in healthy luxuries

Luxuries don’t have to be unhealthy. Think about whether there are any healthier foods you enjoy but rarely eat during the year – shrimp, clementines, a nice cut of fish or, if you’re in the position to treat yourself, a more expensive cut of beef?

Avoid grazing

You know the rule: don’t graze while cooking. It’s very tempting to try a bit of everything, but if you graze and then eat a portion size as normal, you’re just adding random extra calories to your daily intake. Just hold off and eat once it’s all served up.

Get organized

Some people find that ordering groceries for pickup is a better option that shopping in store, where you’re bound to be tempted by all sorts of things that you weren’t planning on buying.

Plan out what you’re going to eat, make a list, and stick to it.

Keep exercising

Keeping your body moving means you’ll feel less sluggish and groggy when you (inevitably) eat loads of festive goodies. Long walks are a great way to get your steps in, and can be done with the whole family so you can socialize in the fresh air at the same time.

Set a date

How soon after Christmas will your overindulging stop? Will it be in the lull between Christmas and New Year, or would you rather take the pressure off and start again when January rolls around?

Whatever you think is best, it can help to set a date. Make a plan and stick to it – it’ll be tough but those healthy habits will be worth starting again.

Enjoy it

Despite everything, we do really want you to enjoy your Christmas. It’s rare that we get the opportunity to take some time out, to celebrate and reflect on the year and to spend time with loved ones, so make the most of it. If that involves more food and indulgence than usual, then so be it, you can pick things up again whenever you like. Savour your Christmas, and enjoy every mouthful.

Does a Christmas without a beer in hand feel unthinkable? The expectation to drink over the festive period can feel overwhelming, like everywhere you look you’re being offered a drink.

If you’ve decided to cut down on alcohol or have cut it out completely, saying no can feel difficult at this time of year when it seems like everyone’s celebrating. On the one hand, you know that drinking less alcohol is the right choice for you. But on the other hand, you’ve got the very human need to fit in and dodge any personal questions about why you’re not drinking. So how do you deal with it?

Be prepared

You know if you say no to alcohol, you’ll probably be asked questions about why you’re not drinking. Honestly, it’s no one’s business, but saying that to extended family members or coworkers might be kind of rude.

You don’t need to lie, but you might find it awkward to discuss such personal decisions, so having a few answers prepared can feel easier. Try saying you’re taking it easy after a few heavy nights recently, or that you need to be up early the next day so need a sharp mind. You could even make yourself the designated driver. Just keep your answer short, be confident, and move on.

Remember why you cut back

Everyone’s relationship with alcohol is different. There’s no shame in not drinking, or keeping your drinking to a minimum, and it’s more common than ever. Remind yourself why you don’t drink if you’re finding it tough to say no, and if you feel comfortable sharing be honest with friends about why you’re cutting back – you’ll probably be surprised at how understanding people can be.

Think about the positives

The best thing about dodging alcohol? Waking up the next morning hangover-free. No one wants to suffer through a family get-together with a headache, after all. If you’re not drinking, you’ll be free to enjoy the next day without reaching for the Tylenol.

Discover new drinks

The so-called ‘adult soft drink’ market has exploded in size in recent years as staying sober has become increasingly popular. If you’re not drinking alcohol, you don’t have to stick to Coca Cola (unless you want to, of course). If you’re a fan of soda, try drinks from Olipop, Poppi, or Culture Pop Soda (interesting flavors include cranberry fizz, ginger ale, and classic root beer).

If you want the taste without the alcohol, there are loads of alcohol-free or low-alcohol drinks that mimic alcoholic drinks. We checked out Walmart and found non-alcoholic beer from Corona, Coors, Peroni, and Budweiser, and non-alcoholic craft beer offerings from Brewdog, Athletic Brewing Company, and Brooklyn Brewery.

Not a beer fan? No worries, you can also find non-alcoholic wine, whisky, vodka, brandy, and even champagne.

Do what you want

Christmas comes with a lot of expectations, but you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. If you don’t want to drink, don’t! If you want to leave a party early, that’s fine. If you want to get away for some space during a busy event, that’s ok too. Do what you need to do to make yourself feel good, and don’t feel bad about it.

The sun’s out and temperatures are rising – sometimes a little too high, so what are you supposed to do about working out?

Should I exercise indoors or outdoors?

That depends on how hot it is. Research shows that exercising outdoors can boost your energy levels, improve stress levels, and increase your body’s levels of vitamin D, which is essential for maintaining healthy bones, boosting your mood, and may even have a part to play in weight loss.

But you’ve got to weigh the benefits up against the downsides of extreme heat. Read our guide to avoiding heat exhaustion and heatstroke for more, but in short, spending time in extreme heat can lead to potentially serious health issues.

Where possible, do your workout indoors and enjoy that sweet, sweet aircon.

Exercising outdoors

If you really want to get some fresh air as part of your workout, do it early in the morning when temperatures aren’t as high as they are later in the day. Avoid being out in the sun when the sun’s at its strongest, which in Florida is between 10am and 2pm.

Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that’s at least SPF30, even if you’re out early in the morning, and wear light-colored, loose clothing. Have water to hand and make sure you drink it throughout your workout.

How do I stop myself from getting too hot?

No one likes being sticky and sweaty, especially if there’s thigh chafing too. As well as wearing light clothing, look for sweat-wicking (also called moisture-wicking) workout clothes, which pull moisture away from the body and can keep you comfortable and dry.

Try ‘pre-cooling’ by having a cool shower before your workout. There’s a point when your body gets so hot that your performance suffers (e.g. you won’t run as fast or lift as much), but studies show that lowering your core temperature with a cool shower first can help your performance stay high for longer.

What’s the best way to stay hydrated?

It might seem like you need a special ‘hydrating’ drink, but it’s not necessary. These drinks are often full of sugar and high in calories, so stick to water. Sip regularly before, during, and after exercise to maintain a healthy level of hydration.

My muscles are hot, so I don’t need to warm up first, right?

You may be tempted to forget the stretch and get stuck in, but don’t fall victim to this way of thinking!

While it may seem like your muscles are warm enough due to the weather, dynamic stretches are still super important to prevent injuries. Properly warmed up muscles are much more coordinated and have fewer unintentional jerky movements, which will help boost your soccer game when you’re out on the field.