December already? Where has this year gone?!? Ready or not... here they come.. the holiday parties! We all know it can be hard not to gain a few pounds over the holidays. Here are some quick tips that can help to keep you lean during the holidays.
TMAC'S TOP TEN TIPS TO AVOID THE HOLIDAY BULDGE
1. Eat enough earlier in the day
Make sure you eat a proper breakfast and lunch (if the time of your event allows for it) to be sure you are not going to be starving and pulling to get all of your calories for the day in one meal. You are not doing yourself any favors by staving yourself all day to save up to stuff your face later. This will only screw with your metabolism and cause you to eat more than you would have otherwise.
2. Eat a small meal before you go to a party
Don't show up starving. Chances are you will make poor food choices and over eat. If you want to keep it light, you can even mix up a quick protein shake. Personally, to control my honor, I take a scoop of chocolate Doc's Whey before heading out the door.
3. Drink water
Drink lots of water all throughout the day. It will help to keep you stay hydrated and feel more satisfied. When you are thirsty, it can easily be mistaken as a false sense of hunger, causing you to over eat.
4. Drink alcohol in moderation
Let's be serious... I'm not going to tell you to completely refrain from alcohol during the holidays. But I do suggest you make smart choices in your beverages. Most likely if you drink too much, you will make poor food choices and overeat on top of the additional calories you take in from the booze. Avoid sugary drinks and the egg nog. Keep the alcohol consumption within reason and don't go overboard.
5. Easy on the heavy dishes
We all know the calorically dense dishes... mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, etc. Loading your plate with these dishes can dramatically affect your waste line. You know the drill. Fill your plate with protein and the veggie dishes and salad. Go easy on the heavier dishes. You don't need to avoid them, but try to avoid a huge serving and take more of a sample.
6. Sit for a minute before getting up to refill your plate
Are you really still hungry? Or was the food just really good? Sit for a minute and take a few sips of water. Check in with yourself and determine if you are really still hungry. If you are still hungry, this time around try to only stick to the protein and veggies and reassess with perhaps a touch more self control.
7. Coffee or tea for dessert
If you have coffee or tea with dessert, you will be less likely to reach for your fork, and it will help to make you feel more satisfied.
8. Sample desserts
The desserts come out, and they all look so good! What are you going to do? If desserts are not for you and you can easily pass, great! For the majority, it's hard to resist. If you have an all time favorite dessert that you wait all year to have, commit to that one and be done. Have one serving and shut it down. If they all look so good and you can't decide what to do, get up once and take a very small sampling of 2-3 desserts. I realize this may mean messing with already cut pieces of pie in some cases. If it seems impolite, ask someone to share it with you and only take 1/3. Again, after your sample plate, shut it down for the night.
9. Eat breakfast the next morning
Don't perpetuate the cycle by starving yourself the next day. If you followed these tips, you should be feeling pretty good the next morning. Start your next day and your metabolism off right and eat a nice healthy breakfast.
10. Have fun and enjoy the company of those around you
After all, that's what the holidays are about! Right? They are not truly about the food and alcohol, but rather, about being with family and friends. Don't make food the focus. It's all about the people around you and the blessings they bring to your life.
Happy Holidays!
TMAC
TMAC'S TOP TEN TIPS TO AVOID THE HOLIDAY BULDGE
1. Eat enough earlier in the day
Make sure you eat a proper breakfast and lunch (if the time of your event allows for it) to be sure you are not going to be starving and pulling to get all of your calories for the day in one meal. You are not doing yourself any favors by staving yourself all day to save up to stuff your face later. This will only screw with your metabolism and cause you to eat more than you would have otherwise.
2. Eat a small meal before you go to a party
Don't show up starving. Chances are you will make poor food choices and over eat. If you want to keep it light, you can even mix up a quick protein shake. Personally, to control my honor, I take a scoop of chocolate Doc's Whey before heading out the door.
3. Drink water
Drink lots of water all throughout the day. It will help to keep you stay hydrated and feel more satisfied. When you are thirsty, it can easily be mistaken as a false sense of hunger, causing you to over eat.
4. Drink alcohol in moderation
Let's be serious... I'm not going to tell you to completely refrain from alcohol during the holidays. But I do suggest you make smart choices in your beverages. Most likely if you drink too much, you will make poor food choices and overeat on top of the additional calories you take in from the booze. Avoid sugary drinks and the egg nog. Keep the alcohol consumption within reason and don't go overboard.
5. Easy on the heavy dishes
We all know the calorically dense dishes... mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, etc. Loading your plate with these dishes can dramatically affect your waste line. You know the drill. Fill your plate with protein and the veggie dishes and salad. Go easy on the heavier dishes. You don't need to avoid them, but try to avoid a huge serving and take more of a sample.
6. Sit for a minute before getting up to refill your plate
Are you really still hungry? Or was the food just really good? Sit for a minute and take a few sips of water. Check in with yourself and determine if you are really still hungry. If you are still hungry, this time around try to only stick to the protein and veggies and reassess with perhaps a touch more self control.
7. Coffee or tea for dessert
If you have coffee or tea with dessert, you will be less likely to reach for your fork, and it will help to make you feel more satisfied.
8. Sample desserts
The desserts come out, and they all look so good! What are you going to do? If desserts are not for you and you can easily pass, great! For the majority, it's hard to resist. If you have an all time favorite dessert that you wait all year to have, commit to that one and be done. Have one serving and shut it down. If they all look so good and you can't decide what to do, get up once and take a very small sampling of 2-3 desserts. I realize this may mean messing with already cut pieces of pie in some cases. If it seems impolite, ask someone to share it with you and only take 1/3. Again, after your sample plate, shut it down for the night.
9. Eat breakfast the next morning
Don't perpetuate the cycle by starving yourself the next day. If you followed these tips, you should be feeling pretty good the next morning. Start your next day and your metabolism off right and eat a nice healthy breakfast.
10. Have fun and enjoy the company of those around you
After all, that's what the holidays are about! Right? They are not truly about the food and alcohol, but rather, about being with family and friends. Don't make food the focus. It's all about the people around you and the blessings they bring to your life.
Happy Holidays!
TMAC
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