Gift Yourself a Healthier You: Starting Your Weight Loss Journey This Holiday Season

With busy schedules and mile-long to-do lists, health often slips to the bottom of the priority list during the holidays. It’s easy to fall into the “I’ll start on January 1st” mindset. 

But what if the best gift you could give yourself this season is a healthier, more energized version of you, starting now? 

At MyFitMed in Dallas, Frisco, Heath, and Southlake, Texas, we want to help our patients build sustainable, year-round habits, even during the busiest time of year. Find balance and build healthy habits that work year-round, including during the holidays. Here’s why beginning your weight loss journey before the New Year may set you up for greater success, and how to do it.

Why start now

The holiday season is often treated like a free pass: extra treats, extra stress, late nights, and an unspoken agreement that healthy habits can wait. But starting now, not later, gives you an advantage, such as:

• Building resilience early
• Avoiding the all-or-nothing mindset
• Creating momentum

Establishing healthy habits during one of the most challenging times of the year can help you lay a strong foundation for long-term success. Easing into the change helps you build consistency instead of extremes. 

Further, small steps now mean you start the New Year feeling confident and capable, not overwhelmed. 

Shifting your mindset

Successful weight loss starts with a mindset shift. This isn’t about perfection, restriction, or punishing yourself for past choices. It’s about building habits that support your well-being.  

Instead of obsessing over the number on the scale, focus on daily actions you can control, such as your meals, movement, and sleep. These mini-habits are what can truly move you toward your goals.  

Make small nutrition changes

Nutrition is an important part of every weight loss plan. You don’t need to follow a restrictive eating plan to lose weight. Good nutrition is what counts most.

Over the holidays, concentrate on the nutritional quality of your diet rather than what you can and can’t have. Eat fruits and vegetables every day, choose healthier proteins, and include a vegetarian meal once or twice a week.

These subtle changes help you ease into a more nourishing eating pattern, one you may be more likely to maintain long after the holidays end.

Add in movement

You don’t have to spend hours at the gym to reach your weight goals. Look for simple ways to add more movement to your day. You can park at the farthest end of the lot, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or use a standing desk.

Short walks during breaks, stretches while watching TV, and lunges or squats at the top of every hour are also ways to fit exercise into the day rather than adding it.

The habits you build now can easily carry over into the New Year, and you can add more activity as your schedule opens up. 

Rest and stress management

Poor sleep and stress can hit hard during the holiday and can trigger cravings and hunger, leading to overeating. Prioritize rest and find ways to manage stress during this time to help you reach your goals and get through the holidays.

Aim for about 7 hours of sleep a night, even when your schedule is full, by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. Routine with bedtime helps you stay on track.

Deep breathing exercises, yoga, and declining invitations can help with stress.

When your mind and body are rested, healthy decisions feel easier and more natural.

If you want guidance, accountability, or medical support as you begin your weight loss journey, our team is ready.  

Call us today or book your weight loss appointment online. We can design a plan that matches your needs and goals and provide additional medical assistance as needed.