By Melissa Schuster MS RDN CDN IFNCP, owner of Schuster Nutrition, PLLC
For many busy professionals, the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s feel less like a season and more like a blur of flights, long drives, client events, and family gatherings. You may bounce between time zones, spend nights in guest rooms or hotels, and find yourself surrounded by foods you did not plan, did not cook, and do not always feel great eating.
It is easy for one holiday meal to snowball into a six-week free for all. I see it every year in my nutrition coaching practice. Someone tells themselves, “I’ll just start over in January,” and suddenly every office cookie, airport snack, and family dessert feels like a now or never situation.
The goal of this guide is not perfection. It is to give you a simple, realistic framework so you can enjoy travel and celebrations, protect your energy, and arrive in January without feeling like you need an extreme reset.
1. Zoom Out: One Holiday Is Not The Whole Season
Whether you are celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali, or another tradition, most holidays are one or a handful of days, not the entire six week stretch.
Treat those special days as just that: special. Enjoy your favorite foods, connect with loved ones, and release the pressure to “perform” nutrition perfectly at every meal. Then, gently return to your usual rhythm on the days in between.
If you find yourself feeling guilty after a big meal, my post on how to reset after Thanksgiving without a diet walks through how to get back on track with kindness rather than punishment.
A helpful question to ask: “How can I make the most of today, without letting it spill into the entire month?”
2. Build A Holiday Plate You Feel Good About
You do not need to eat every single favorite holiday food at one meal. A balanced plate will leave you satisfied, less bloated, and with steadier energy for travel, work, and time with family.
Use this simple plate framework at holiday meals and restaurant outings:
- Half your plate non starchy vegetables
Salad, roasted Brussels sprouts, green beans, roasted carrots, sautéed greens, crudités. - One quarter protein
Turkey, chicken, fish, lentils, beans, tofu, or whatever main protein is served. - One quarter carbohydrate
Stuffing, potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, yams, that favorite family dish you look forward to.
Then, choose one or two favorite extras: A dessert you truly enjoy, or a glass of wine, or a specialty cocktail. Savor them instead of sampling everything just because it is there.
For more ideas on how to apply this in real life, you can read my post on avoiding holiday weight gain. Although it is written with women in mind, the strategies are relevant for anyone juggling a busy schedule and social events.
3. Travel Smart: Snacks And Breakfast Matter More Than You Think
Holiday travel often means unpredictable timing, delays, and limited options. Long gaps between meals can lead to intense hunger, which is when many people find themselves overeating whatever is available.
Two simple anchors can make a big difference:
Pack high-protein, high-fiber travel snacks
Keep a small “travel pantry” in your carry on or car:
- Roasted chickpeas or edamame
- Individual nut packs
- Protein bars with at least 10–15 grams of protein
- Whole fruit, such as apples or clementines
- Single serve nut butter packets
- Trail mix that is more nuts and seeds than candy
If you would like a done for you list, you can grab my free Healthy Snack Guide which includes travel friendly, high-protein high-fiber options.
Do not skip breakfast “to save up”
Arriving at a late holiday lunch or party overly hungry almost guarantees that you will eat past comfortable fullness. Instead, start your day with a balanced breakfast that includes:
- Protein, such as eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, tofu, or a quality protein powder
- Fiber-rich carbohydrates, such as oats, whole grain toast, fruit, or chia/flax
- A little healthy fat, such as avocado, nuts, seeds, or olive oil
If breakfast is a struggle on busy travel days, my High Protein Breakfast Guide offers simple ideas that can be pulled together quickly or prepped ahead.
Even if the rest of the day is flexible, these two anchors, snacks and breakfast, go a long way toward preventing energy crashes and “I’ll eat everything in sight” evenings.
4. Protect Your Boundaries Around Food
Another challenge that shows up during holiday travel is food pressure from family, friends, and colleagues. You might hear comments like:
- “You have to try my pie, I made it just for you.”
- “That is all you are eating?”
- “Go back for more, it is the holidays.”
These offers are often rooted in love, tradition, or someone’s idea of celebration, but they can leave you feeling boxed into a corner.
A few simple phrases can help you say no kindly and confidently:
- “No thank you, it looks great though.”
- “I am really satisfied right now, I am going to pause here.”
- “I am saving room for dessert later.”
If this is a recurring stressor, you might appreciate my guide on how to say no to food pushers at the holidays, which includes more scripts and mindset shifts.
Setting boundaries with food is not about rejecting anyone’s cooking. It is about respecting your own body and needs.
5. Keep Movement Gentle And Joyful
When you are traveling, a strict exercise routine is often unrealistic, and trying to compensate for holiday meals with punishing workouts usually backfires.
Instead, think of movement as a way to support digestion, mood, and stress relief:
- Invite family or friends for a walk after a big meal
- Take the stairs when you can
- Do a short yoga, stretching, or mobility session in your hotel room
- Join a local “turkey burn” style class if it sounds fun, not obligatory
These small bouts add up, and they are often more sustainable than trying to squeeze in long, intense workouts while you are hosting or visiting.
6. After The Holidays: Gentle Reset, Not Extreme Detox
By late December, you might feel tempted to sign up for a strict “sugar detox” or crash diet to undo the past few weeks. That instinct is understandable, especially if you feel bloated or off your usual routine, but extreme detoxes rarely deliver the lasting results people hope for.
Your body already has a built in detox system, and what it usually needs most after a busy season is:
- Regular, balanced meals
- Enough water
- Sleep that is as consistent as possible
- A return to your usual movement routine
In my post on why you do not need a sugar detox after Christmas, I walk through how one of my clients reset with kindness and structure, instead of restriction and punishment, and saw far better results.
A helpful way to think about it: “How can I rebuild my rhythm, one small step at a time,” rather than “How quickly can I undo everything I ate.”
7. Put It All Together
To recap, here is a simple holiday travel checklist you can keep in mind:
- Treat holidays as special days, not a six week exception period.
- Use the plate method at most meals, even on the road.
- Pick a few favorite holiday foods and enjoy them, instead of sampling everything.
- Limit alcohol to the amount that lets you feel good the next morning.
- Pack high-protein, high-fiber snacks for flights and long drives.
- Do not skip breakfast to “save up” calories.
- Bring a side dish you genuinely want to eat, such as a big salad or roasted vegetables.
- Keep movement gentle and enjoyable.
- Say no to food pressure politely and firmly when you need to.
- After the holidays, focus on gentle routines rather than extreme detoxes.
If you want more depth on any of these topics, you can explore the related posts linked throughout this article.
When You Need A Structured Reset
If you read this and realize that the six weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s tend to derail you every year, you are not alone. Many high functioning professionals find that once they slip into “I will start over in January” mode, it becomes very hard to regain momentum on their own.
That is exactly why I created my 6-Week Nutrition Bootcamp, a focused reset designed to help you:
- Rebuild steady routines around meals, movement, and mindset
- Learn how to navigate social events and travel without constant stress about food
- Improve energy, digestion, and confidence in a realistic, sustainable way
If you would like more support turning these ideas into a plan that fits your life, you can learn more about the program here: https://www.schusternutrition.com/bootcamp
Your holidays can include both joyful memories and a body that feels well cared for. With a little planning and a lot of self-kindness, you can step into the new year feeling more in control, not less.
Article written by Melissa Schuster MS RDN CDN IFNCP and Founder of Schuster Nutrition, PLLC.
Melissa is an integrative and functional dietitian who works with high-performing professionals to improve energy, support metabolic health, and build sustainable nutrition routines that fit real life. Learn more at www.schusternutrition.com.
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this post is not, and should not be construed as, medical advice. It is provided for informational purposes only. Each individual’s situation, nutritional needs and medical situation are different, and the information contained in this post may not be appropriate for your personal situation. Always check with your own physician or medical professional before implementing any change to your lifestyle, food intake, exercise regimen or medical treatment.
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