No matter what holiday you celebrate, this is the season of sweets. It should be a fun and festive time of year, but it seems like many girls with PCOS who I talk to are more focused on trying to avoid holiday weight gain than celebrating the holidays. It’s great to be mindful about staying healthy, but it shouldn’t be your main focus. Let’s be realistic. Will you gain weight if you eat every holiday cookie that crosses your path this month? Probably. Is it possible to eat some of your favorite holiday foods this month and still maintain your weight? Definitely. Just don’t throw all of your healthy habits out the window this time of year. Continue to eat regular meals and stay as active a possible.

The key to staying healthy during the holiday is moderation, not deprivation! Don’t totally deny yourself your favorite holiday foods, but don’t go overboard with them either. Think about which holiday foods are your favorites and try to incorporate healthy portions of those into your meals and snacks. Eat sensibly at holiday parties. Fill up on PCOS-friendly foods such as turkey, shrimp, veggies, and nuts, and eat until you are comfortably full, but not stuffed. Staying active this time of year may not be as hard as it seems. If you live somewhere cold, go skiing, sledding, ice skating, or make a snowman. No matter where you live, shopping post-holiday sales counts as physical activity, too. It’s still considered walking even if you have shopping bags in your hands!

Have a Happy Healthy Holiday Season!

-Nutritionist Kendrin