Enjoy the holidays and start the new year with a clear plan

Holidays without regrets: how to do it

Christmas is a time when we are allowed to feel joy. But if you are currently focusing on healthy habits, you may often find the Christmas season stressful too.

Sweets and pastries, mulled wine at the Christmas market, one family meal after another – it is easy to eat far more than your body actually needs. This often leads to stress and guilt, especially if you have worked hard to lose weight and keep up your healthy eating habits.

It doesn’t have to be that hard. With a few simple strategies you can enjoy the holidays without a guilty conscience. And with the right preparation you won’t be starting from zero in January, but can get going straight away.

It’s only a few days – don’t be too hard on yourself

The most important step against guilt at Christmas: put things into perspective.

A few days of indulgence over the holidays do not mean that you will never reach your health goals. What counts are your habits over the whole year – not what happens between 24 and 26 December.

Take the pressure off yourself and enjoy this special time. In January, we are here for you.

Build in healthy alternatives

Even at Christmas you can choose healthy foods. There are plenty of delicious things you are allowed to enjoy over the holidays – but not every dish and drink has to be high in calories.

Think about balance and get creative. If you are cooking at home: which ingredients can be swapped for healthier ones? If you are eating out: how about a light salad or a soup as a starter? If you are visiting family or friends: perhaps you could prepare a few healthy dishes yourself and bring them along?

Moderation is the new sexy

Many people associate the holidays with a full stomach. But how does that actually feel? And how quickly do you eat biscuit after biscuit until suddenly the whole box is empty?

Studies show that men and women alike underestimate the calorie content of a meal by up to 1,000 calories. Without an overview of what we take in, we often believe we are eating less than we actually do.

It helps to pay more conscious attention to what you eat. Forget the extremes – make moderation sexy. Here is how:

Keep moving

People who move little often feel hungrier and reach for snacks more often.

Try to be physically active for at least 30 minutes a day over the holidays: a brisk walk in the fresh air, stretching in the morning, or a dance around the living room to your favourite Christmas songs.

Staying active doesn’t just burn off some of the festive calories. You also feel less tired and are more likely to stay in control of how you enjoy the festive days.

A slip-up is not a failure

We all know days when we made the wrong choice about food and feel we have “failed”. Then the whole day is written off, the whole week ticked off – and with it all healthy habits.

It doesn’t have to be that extreme. One unfavourable choice or a day when you treat yourself does not mean you have failed. What has happened cannot be changed – but you can make the next decision better.

It is perfectly fine to enjoy a few biscuits too many on Christmas Eve. Every new moment is a new chance.

Don’t wait until January to plan January

This is the decisive point: many New Year’s resolutions fail because they come too late. On 2 January motivation is high, but preparation is zero. The waiting rooms are full, and so are the diaries – and valuable weeks pass before you even get started.

If you take advice before the holidays, you go into the Christmas season with clarity: you know your options and have a concrete plan. While others are still doing their research in January, you can already get started.

We see this every year: patients who come to us in December go through the holidays more relaxed, because they know that things will start after Christmas.

Which treatment suits you?

Which path may be right for you is something we clarify in the consultation. Three options with which many people begin in the new year:

You are not alone with the Weight Doctors®

As a Weight Doctors® patient, Weight Doctors® Mira accompanies you in the Weight Doctors® App – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and in 7 languages. If you wish, Mira suggests recipes, taking into account your preferences, intolerances and allergies. Particularly helpful over the holidays: ask for lighter versions of classic Christmas dishes or for tips for the days between Christmas and New Year.

Sometimes it takes more than an app. Drawing on thousands of personal pieces of feedback, we have developed our care and aftercare further: the 360° Coaches are a Weight Doctors® team who accompany you personally and support you with care and expert advice on the way to your weight goal.

To start, you receive 12 months’ access to the Weight Doctors® App. A digital body scale is connected to the App, so that you and we can keep track of your progress at any time.

Before, during and after the holidays

Your fresh start begins with a decision

Every big change begins with a decision. Andrea made it, so did Gisela, and so did Erik and Julie – you can find their stories under Our patients’ experiences.

Will the new year be the year of your story? A consultation with no obligation takes little of your time and can give you the clarity to go into the holidays relaxed.