Guess what, you guys?! It’s that time of year again! What happens? The holidays roll around, there’s candy, baked goods, and food everywhere, and it’s SO HARD to not allow the pounds to just pack on, right? Like – you might as well sit on the food because it’s going straight to your bum??! (hint: this is why I wrote my Holiday Survival Guide)
I think we’d all agree that it’s easy to gain weight over the holidays, but what if things could be different this year? Rather than “dieting” or trying to LOSE weight over the holidays, why not try to just NOT GAIN anything during this time.
My Holiday Survival Guide
Here are my top ten tips to help you SURVIVE Thanksgiving, and beyond, and not add TOO MUCH bulge to your body!!
- First thing I always like to advise is to NOT be so hard on yourself. Guilt can really mess things up for you because once you feel like you’ve overdone it, or eaten the wrong thing, the first thing we do is throw our hands up and say, “Forget it! I might as well just go all out now!” WRONG. Choose a different approach. Don’t sweat it if you went overboard. Drink tons of water, and move on right back to your healthiest habits.
- STAY HYDRATED. Did you know that most of the times that you think you’re hungry, you’re actually thirsty? It’s true. AND, if you’re not well hydrated, you’re more likely to make bad choices with food. Make sure that you’re drinking lots and lots of water! I want you to do this all the time, but especially during the holidays!
- Get a workout in. No matter what it is, GET UP AND MOVE! You might be doing a specific program right now, and I know when you’re following a schedule, there’s a lot of pressure to stick to that and you feel bad if you don’t. But in this case, let that go, because you may have family over and all that good stuff. Getting SOME movement in is so important!!
- Keep ALL of your eating in an 8-hour window: Do you Intermittent Fast?? If you already do this, you’re no stranger to it, but it’s a GREAT way to allow your body to process all you’ve consumed. A “body hack” to burn fat, if you will.
- Eat a healthy breakfast: OR, if you’re an Intermittent Faster like me, eat a healthy “first meal”. Because you know that you’ll be eating a bit more, and potentially not the healthiest, have a healthy, filling first meal so that you’re not ravenous by the time Thanksgiving dinner’s ready. (Remember you can always print this Holiday Survival Guide to help you stay on track!!!)
- Watch your portion sizes: It sounds like such a cliché thing to say these days, but seriously. Does anyone really like to feel STUFFED like your turkey? You get gassy, pants too tight, sleepy, and just plain old don’t feel good if you eat too much. Have a nice little scoop of everything, eat slowly, and enjoy the food.
- Load up on veggies and EAT THEM FIRST: Hey – at least if you do this, you know that you’re getting some nutritional value out of what you’re eating. And if you start by eating these first, your tummy’s filled with the GOOD stuff! Only a little room left for the BAD stuff.
- Try not to go crazy with the appetizers: You can easily eat the equivalent of a meal (and then some) before you’ve even started the main course. If there’s something you MUST HAVE – have just one.
- Limit alcohol intake: I know, I know. Nobody wants to hear this, but alcohol lowers inhibitions and can influence you to make bad choices from eating too much and/or eating the wrong things. PLUS – if you’re on a “plan”, alcohol can hinder fat loss because your liver (which processes fat) is busy processing the booze. I’m just sayin’!
- What are the holidays all about again? THAT’S RIGHT. It’s not about drinking all the wine and stuffing your face – it’s about being grateful and thankful for your many blessing, and spending quality time with the precious people in your life. Don’t forget it.
Enjoy your holidays, my friends and if you loved my Holiday Survival Guide – Feel free to share this post!.
Love,
Michele
