Revolution Motherhood x The Lanby

6 Ways to Stay Balanced Through the Holidays

Welcome to our guest blog contributor, Taylor Fazio, RD, CDN, SPN from The Lanby:
Taylor is a Registered Dietitian and Specialist in Prenatal Nutrition who works with individuals to build sustainable habits that support long-term health and well-being.

The holiday season can feel like a whirlwind of celebrations, rich meals, disrupted schedules, and shifting routines. Many people bounce between joyful indulgence and the sense that their habits have been tossed aside. The days between Christmas and the New Year often become an especially hazy stretch where sleep, structure, and self-care slip away.

But you don’t have to live in the extremes just because of the celebratory season. One of the most effective ways to stay steady is to use how you feel as your internal guide. I often refer to Shira Barlow RD’s line because it simplifies this beautifully: "Everything is on the table, not everything is worth it." You have full autonomy, and nothing is off-limits. The goal is to anchor your choices in how you want to feel rather than reacting to pressure, impulse, or being swept up in holiday momentum.

Below are six simple, practical ways to bring that intention into your daily life this season:

1. Check in with yourself before you commit
   Pause for a brief moment before eating, drinking, or agreeing to an activity. Notice if you are hungry, thirsty, tired, overwhelmed, or craving connection. This helps you choose from awareness instead of autopilot.
2. Decide on your non-negotiables
   Pick 2 or 3 habits that keep you balanced and make those your priority. This might be a morning hydration routine, a daily walk, a short breathwork session, or protecting your sleep window. Let those hold steady while everything else flexes with the season. This isn’t about rigidity; it's an act of self-love.
3. Eat for stability and enjoyment
   Avoid restricting early in the day in anticipation of a larger meal. Trust me, it almost always backfires. Build balanced meals with protein, fiber, and fat earlier in the day so you enter gatherings with stable energy. You will enjoy holiday foods more and recover more easily afterward. Most events follow a predictable pattern of long stretches of appetizers before any main meal. Arriving in a grounded state helps you enjoy the occasion without relying on small bites to create satiety.
4. Use tomorrow’s energy as your reference point for alcohol
   If you want a drink, have it. When deciding about the next one, ask how you want to feel the next morning. Your answer will guide you clearly without judgment. For some people, setting an overall drink limit for an event or a week offers supportive structure without feeling restrictive.
5. Move to regulate your system, not to compensate
   Short, functional workouts [1] do more for your energy and mood than trying to offset indulgence. Ten minutes of strength[2] , mobility[3] , or core[4]  activation can recalibrate you quickly and sustainably. I often say, you never regret moving your body. Taking a beat from the ongoings of this time of year and creating space for yourself feels so good afterward. Dedicated time is always worth it.
6. Honor meaningful rituals
   Some foods and traditions carry emotional and generational weight. If your grandmother’s holiday cookies bring comfort, connection, and memory, that is meaningful nourishment. Thinking about the sugar content or calorie value is not the point. Enjoy these moments (and I hope always) without any guilt.

Finding balance during the holidays is less about discipline and more about alignment. When your choices reflect how you want to feel, the season stays joyful without leaving you depleted.

At The Lanby, our team works with members to build evidence-informed habits that support resilience, stability, and long term well-being. If you are looking for more personalized guidance, our integrative approach pairs seamlessly with movement based foundations like those cultivated at Revolution Motherhood. My hope is that these tools help you step into the New Year feeling grounded, connected, and fully empowered with your choices.

Happy holidays!