NORTH DAKOTA (KXNET) — The holiday season is upon us, the time of year when healthy habits fall to the side as people enjoy all sorts of food. "The truth is, people do tend to abandon healthy habits during the winter," said Dr. John Jaquish, a scientist, inventor, and author. People usually blame the cold weather, which makes them stay inside. Besides, who wants to stick to a diet during holiday parties? Some people who go a little overboard during the holidays are usually able to refocus at the new year, but others never regain the ground they lost or drop the added pounds. However, it doesn't need to be like that, and Dr. Jean Gustafson from Essentia Health shared two reasons she believes most people lose track of their health goals. "One of it, is the busyness of the holidays a lot of times can get us off track with meal prep or any sort of routine kind of schedule. Then the other part of that is, a lot of things we do around the holidays are surrounded around food and beverages," Dr. Gustafson explained. Here are a few tips for staying fit and healthy during the winter holidays. Try these things if you’re feeling stress from the election Stay moving. Try to avoid sitting for long periods of time, even if you're staying active. Getting up and moving for just five minutes every 30-60 minutes can reduce the risk of diabetes and other heart disease risk factors. Have a plan and stay hydrated. Just like a coach, start the day with a game plan. Track food intake and activity level — this can bring awareness to calories in certain foods. If you have higher-calorie options, try to eat smaller portions and make other adjustments to stay in your caloric goal. "Try to increase your water intake. Drinking water prior to eating has been shown to help us eat less and just to stay hydrated, because our bodies will sometimes confuse being thirsty with being hungry," said Dr. Gustafson. Expect the unexpected. Always hope for the best, but also prepare for the worst. It's a good idea to have a bag of healthy food that doesn't need to be refrigerated just in case there aren't any healthy options. Be creative and eliminate the "all or nothing" mindset. This is a hectic season, so try to avoid the "all or nothing" mentality because there is more than one way to be healthy and active. To make things more fun, try new and creative ways to make physical activity a family affair. Plan, but remember there is time and opportunity for a workout. Plan workouts for the week and put them into your schedule. Some exercise is better than nothing, and you don't have to hit the gym for it to be a workout. If people find themselves off course with their health goals, Dr. Gustafson's biggest reminder is to give yourself a little bit of grace. "It's okay to celebrate holidays. It's okay to celebrate birthdays. It's just that extended celebration. So even if you're going out of town for a few days, have a great time, but just have a plan when you get home that you just need to be extra honed in on what you're doing for your diet, what you're doing for your daily movement," Dr. Gustafson concluded. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Today's Top Stories SIGN UP NOW