Don't dread the Holiday feast this year. Slide through the season a little lighter and a lot happier!
WATER FIRST
Drink a glass of water before every meal. Food isn’t the only thing that fills your stomach. Drinking water first helps to fill you up with less calories. Plus, it goes towards your daily water intake: your weight divided by 2 is your water intake in ounces.
EAT BEFORE DRINKING ALCOHOL
Skipping meals to save your appetite for a big dinner will only lead to binge eating later on. Stick to a portion controlled, healthy breakfast and light lunch full of veggies and proteins to keep you full and satisfied longer.
BRING YOUR OWN
Rather than trying to figure out which dishes are healthy and which are not at a party, or worse, avoiding food altogether...bring a dish of your own to share! Try what you want but know that you have a healthy alternative.
DON’T EAT SO FAST
It takes time for your stomach to catch up to your brain to tell it you’re full. Chew slower, take smaller bites, and savor the taste...especially with desserts.
FILL UP ON VEGGIES
Veggies keep us more full and more satisfied than any other food group, not to mention the nutritional value. Not a fan of veggies? Neither am I! Check out my blog post: “What If I Don’t Like Veggies?” under the Nutrition Tab.
USE SMALLER PLATES
The brain associates the empty space on a plate with less food. Keep your plates smaller to trick the brain and portion control your meals. Our eyes are always bigger than our stomachs!
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HEALTHY FATS
Cutting out butters and fatty oils can significantly drop calories. Easily swap ingredients in Holiday baked goods for avocado, banana, or applesauce. Add nuts and organic olive oil to foods and recipes for even more healthy fats.
WATCH FOR ADDED SUGARS
Most Holiday goodies have added sugar in them, increasing your risk for cardiovascular disease and obesity. Check the ingredients and stick to natural sugars like raw cane sugar.
SHARE DESSERTS
There is no need for us to have a whole piece of every dessert on the table. Of course you want to try them all! Grab a friend or two and split the desserts so you get a little taste of everything without all of the calories and sugar.
KEEP THE CARBS TO A MINIMUM
I said a minimum, not leave them out altogether. Our bodies need every food group, including carbohydrates. We just need to be smart about how we consume them.
Sometimes we forget all of the foods that are considered carbs at the dinner table. When you make yourself a plate of mashed potatoes, stuffing, a dinner roll, mac and cheese...these are ALL carbs. Choose one or two items to eat or have a little of each. Don’t overindulge on those carbs!
WAIT BEFORE YOU GRAB SECONDS
Our bodies need to register how full we are after eating. Take some time after you eat your first plate, drink water, and let your brain tell you whether you’re still hungry or not.
GIVE AWAY THE LEFTOVERS
Instead of having leftovers lingering in your fridge, haunting you until they’re gone...throw it in a plastic container and hand out to guests as they leave. Hand out those desserts and cookies too!
BEWARE OF ALCOHOL
Alcohol adds unnecessary calories to your diet, and drinking too much champagne, eggnog, wine, and beer can make us lose our control around food. Watch the calories in your drink choices and drink responsibly.
CHEW GUM
It’s hard to stop reaching for those bowls of chips and pretzels when they’re staring at you in the face. Chew gum to keep your mouth occupied and help curb your appetite.
STAY POSITIVE AND DE-STRESS
The Holidays are always a stressful time. Utilize meditation, yoga, journaling, or self care to de-stress this Holiday season. Check out my blog post: How to Reduce Your Stress This Holiday Season, for more ideas.
GET ENOUGH SHUT EYE
Believe it or not, the amount of sleep we get can affect our health. With our busy schedules, sometimes we aren’t able to get 8 hours of sleep every night. Aim for 6-8 most nights to stay on track and help with weight loss.
Showering before bed, turning off electronics an hour before, and avoiding high fat/sugary foods at night can help for a better night sleep.
EXERCISE
We’re all busy...more so during the holidays. Find time to fit in at least 3-4 days of exercise per week. During my busy times, like the Holidays, I utilize my fitness & nutrition program that is 4 days a week for 30-40 minutes. Now that, I can do...and so can you! Email me for details on my streamable workout programs for busy people.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The Holidays don’t have to end in huge amounts of weight gain. Using these tips, we can keep our calories down and still enjoy the food!
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