Early to Bed, Early to Rise: Avoid Holiday Weight Gain, Part 3

Yes, the holiday season can bring a seemingly endless to do list, but you will be more efficient in checking off these things and avoid the holiday pounds by going to bed and waking up earlier. Hear me out here…

No one ever thinks “wow, I wish I’d stayed up later last night.” Just like no one wakes up saying “wow, I wish I’d had some wine last night.”

I am not at all suggesting that you leave parties early! Enjoy all the fun and festivities, but on nights where you don’t have any plans, don’t go down the Netflix or Instagram rabbit hole, and turn in earlier.

If you’ve read the first two parts of this series of How to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain you know it’s important to pamper your liver and up your produce intake (which changes your mindset!), so let’s continue with a third thing that can help you beat the holiday pounds!

There are a couple of benefits to your productivity and your waistline if you start making an earlier bedtime and wake time a habit:

1. Less overindulging just because.

You won’t be tempted by late night snacks or another glass of wine.

2. Productivity and freshness.

You are far more efficient first thing in the morning after a full night’s sleep than you are after a full day of errands, work, etc. and trying to squeeze in a few more things. That means put off the things you don’t HAVE to finish tonight, go to bed early, and finish them up in the morning (in far less time than it would have taken you the night before).

I have a tendency to get more done in the hour I build into my morning routine for random things (like writing blog posts or prepping my food for the day) than I would the night before.

Also, along with my first point, you are less likely to pour another glass of wine or open a bag of chips first thing in the morning while you’re trying to blow through your to-do list than the night before!

3. Regulates your circadian rhythm.

This time of year, it gets dark early. That part sucks in general, but chances are that as a result you’ll get tired earlier. Listen to your body and go to bed. That means you’ll also get some morning sun.

That morning sun sets your circadian rhythm so that you will naturally be tired earlier, and the cycle continues. If you’re not fighting against your body’s natural tendencies, you should have an easier time falling and staying asleep!

And we all know that it is easier to overeat when you are exhausted - we all get those sugar cravings to keep ourselves awake.

The more quality sleep we get, the easier it is to avoid holiday weight gain.

4. Exercise. You’re more likely to squeeze in a workout, even a short one, if you have extra time in the morning.

If you leave it for after work, there’s a good chance you’ll have a hundred things to do that will get in the way. Or you’ll be exhausted and hungry.

Extra morning time is like a gift to yourself! Even if you’re not a regular exerciser, it might be a good time to start a small habit. My 30 Day Plank Challenge only requires a few minutes per day – if you start now, by Black Friday you’ll have a noticeably stronger core!

I wrote more about the benefits of adjusting your schedule in How to Improve Your Sleep Quantity AND Quality and How to Create Your Perfect Morning Routine.

In order to make this easier, I recommend three things:

At night, pick a ritual-type thing to signify that your day is done and that you’re winding down for bed.

For me, I walk my dog, which means it’s time for both him and me to go to bed. I also take melatonin after we get in. This timing is perfect for me because it kicks in right around the time I get into bed, and I’m not tempted to turn on YouTube videos and waste an hour.

Also at night, try not to have any alcohol (which makes more sense if it’s not a party night).

Your quality of sleep will be better, and it’s always MUCH easier for me to get out of bed the next morning if I haven’t had any wine, even just one glass.

In the morning, have a special treat you are looking forward to in order to get you out of bed.

This is critical when you want to hit the snooze button one more time! This could be a special coffee drink, a fancy tea, leftovers from last night’s dinner, or a favorite podcast for a morning walk.

Personally, this morning as I’m writing this post, I’m watching last night’s new Real Housewives of Potomac, which I was verrrrry tempted to stay up and watch last night!

If you try this small tweak to your routine, you will likely notice a change in how your pants fit after a few weeks, even without making real changes to your diet or exercise routines!

Hopefully this is a healthy habit you will keep going forward after the holidays.

And hey, if you make earlier bedtimes a habit now, you won’t need to make a resolution about it come January!

If you are looking for a healthy way to set your holiday table, sign up here for my FREE Liver-Healthy Holiday Sides Menu, complete with a shopping list and recipes!