5 Ways To Restart Your Healthy Habits After An Indulgent Festive Season

In Singapore, the festive season really kicks off around Deepavali and pushes straight through to Chinese New Year, meaning that many folks arrive in mid-to-late February having enjoyed nearly four straight months – one third of the entire year! – of festive fun.

And while all this partying can be great for the spirit, it can wreak havoc on one’s healthy habits.  Too much rich food, alcohol, late nights, and stress can leave even a healthy person feeling bloated, exhausted, and unfocused.

2024 will be my eighteenth year as a fitness and nutrition coach, so I’ve seen this pattern go ‘round and ‘round plenty of times – and I can reassure you, all is not lost!  Here are my tried-and-true ways to get back on to reset, rejuvenate, and find healthy motivation again.

1. Drink up

I am definitely not advising you go for more booze here – rather, that you start reaching for water instead!  After a period of steady-streaming dietary toxins like alcohol and sugar, you’ll need a strong dose of plain water to help rehydrate your cells and support the digestive processes that, well, move the bad things “out” of your system.  Aim for at least 2.2l of plain water per day, with at least half of that taken before 12 noon; eventually move toward 3l per day if you can.

2. Resist the urge to cleanse

The reason I bring up the water tip above is because that’s truly the only thing you need to optimise liver and kidney function and ensure your body eliminates toxins effectively.  Often I see clients who want to go for juice cleanses, colonics, or detox pills after a period of overindulgence to try and “reset” their systems (and let’s be honest – usually the number they see on their scales) and I caution against them all.  There is no scientific evidence showing the efficacy (or even, safety) of these practices. Moreover; they are no more effective in long-term weight loss than a traditional, calorie-controlled whole foods diet.

3. Eat the rainbow

To emphasise the point above about a whole-foods diet, what’s usually the most imbalanced after a period of festive eating is not necessarily calories, but micronutrients – food-based vitamins and minerals.  Rich, sweet, and processed food tends to be calorie-dense but nutrient-poor, resulting in a lot of energy intake without a lot of nutritional benefit.  To start eating healthier without having to go on a strict “diet,” simply focus on eating as colourfully as possible. The more colours you integrate into your diet from fruits and vegetables, the more diverse your micronutrient intake will become, and the more your microbiome will thrive.

4. Take probiotics

One of the reasons you might feel so awful after a period of indulgent food and drink is because your gut health is still suffering.  Poor sleep, a lack of physical activity, eating too many ultra-processed foods and drinking alcohol can all affect the balance of “good” and “bad” bacteria in the gut – so it’s crucial to repopulate the good stuff.  Taking an over-the-counter probiotic capsule each morning on an empty stomach is a great way to rebalance the gut, and incorporating probiotic and fermented foods like yoghurt, kimchi, and kombucha into your daily diet can also contribute to better digestive health.

5. Follow the 1-2-3 method

No matter which of your healthy habits fell by the wayside during the festive season – whether it is nutritious eating, regular exercise, teetotaling, or getting to sleep at a decent hour – I recommend using a “1-2-3” method to get back on track. 

Give yourself three weeks to get fully back to a healthy routine, by completing at least one day of your optimal habit in the first week, two days in the second week, and three days by the third week – then strive to maintain that 3-days-per-week frequency for at least 3 more weeks. 

An example of this would be with exercise – on your first week back from holidays, strive to get one good workout done.  During your second week back, work out twice.  And by the third week – and for three weeks after – exercise three times per week.  This gentle onboarding gives you time to rework healthy habits into your schedule without feeling too overwhelmed. And it helps you solidify the actions you want to take to stay well long after the holidays are over.

The holidays are a time for celebrating, so there’s no need for guilt after a period of joyful indulgence.  That said, when the festive season ends, it’s time to “pay the piper” – so use these easy tips to help you get moving back to a healthier lifestyle right away.

Amanda Lim is a certified fitness & nutrition coach, perinatal specialist, and mother of two (with a third on the way!).  American by birth but Singaporean at heart, she enjoys hot yoga & CrossFit – followed by a big bowl of laksa. You can find her at @coachamandalim and .