How to eat your way through the holidays.
Hey Friend! I am once again typing this to you in the car (excuse the grammar and typos!) as we head to our boys’ basketball game. ‘Tis the season…basketball that is. ;)
Today, let’s have a chat about holiday eating. Contrary to popular belief, you CAN enjoy the holidays and still reach your goals. The key is mindset. I’ve been thinking through this topic, and how I can best help you, so here are a few thoughts that I think will be of value.
First, on the main day you celebrate, macros don’t matter, but memories do. For example, we celebrate Christmas morning with biscuits and gravy (red eye AND chocolate…we are Middle Tennesseans to the core), cheese grits, country ham, and scrambled eggs. I know I may be speaking a foreign language to you, but just trust me, it’s all delicious. While I may take Carb Ease (which is on sale right now!) and Fibotrim pre-meal (assuming I remember them), I will not concern myself with anything other than how much I love the people around my table and what a great cook TJ is.
Second, identify which meals fit in the category above…and which don’t. To reach your goals, the holiday season doesn’t have to be misery and restriction, but it also can’t be a month long free-for-all. Choose wisely and with intention.
Third, walk in to all the additional luncheons and parties with a plan. Let me give you an example that I had recently. We had a holiday luncheon at work that consisted of fried chicken, sides, desserts, etc. Here is how I navigated this one: I brought a simple salad, with a vinaigrette dressing, to make sure I was getting a serving of veggies and ate that first to curb my hunger. When I made my plate, I only chose to eat the foods that I enjoyed (just because a food is offered to you doesn’t mean you have to eat it!). When I put the food on my plate I used my palm as a measuring guide (I teach this method in more detail to my nutrition accountability clients). I drank water instead of the calorie-dense sweet tea and lemonade offered. For dessert, I brought a RTD Protein to drink while enjoying a small portion of pie. This helped me reach my protein count, feel full, and kept me from going overboard on dessert (plus the RTD is just a treat in and of itself).
Fourth, keep up with the daily consistent habits. Each day drink your water (half your weight in ounces) and stay on track to reach your activity level goal (at least 150 minutes per week). Permanent weight loss is all about consistency over time! Read that last sentence again.
I hope you love yourself well this holiday season by allowing yourself to enjoy your favorite treats, but also by choosing when and how much with wisdom.
Above all, keep in mind that this season is not about gifts, parties, and food. It’s about remembering the birth of our Savior, Jesus. We celebrate His birth while expectantly awaiting His triumphant return. Soli Deo Gloria.
Your Friend,
Grab these to help keep your belly balanced and to fight off the impact of all those yummy holiday treats!