The holiday season is a wonderful time to spend with family, but is the hardest time of the year to stay on track with your goals. There are landmines of tempting treats at every turn, the obstacles of holiday travels: eating on the go, limited time, stress and usually the absence of an easily accessible gym. Then, there is time. We want to spend it with family, or relaxing. But 6 weeks of holiday cheer can send most of us back several months of dedicating healthy eating and exercise. How do you survive?
6 RULES to SURVIVING THANKSGIVING
1. Eat first. When going to a meal-oriented holiday get-together like Thanksgiving, most of us tend to skip breakfast and lunch, then nibble ravenously until dinner and then eat, have seconds and then have a slice of pie. This is a classic mistake. Get up, have a proper breakfast, full of healthy protien and fruit, eat lunch, full of (again) healthy protien and load up on the veggies. Then when dinner comes around you will have eaten throughout the day and will be less likely to overeat.
2. Drink a large glass of water before dinner and in fact, all meals throughout the day. It is important to stay hydrated and to not mistake your body's thirst signals for hunger ones. Plus, water helps aid digestion, and will help you feel fuller, quicker, so you won't overdo it on the calories.
3. Be picky, it's ok. Holiday get togethers spoil you for choice of tasty treats, but be selective and pick a few of your favorites to indulge in, and pass the rest by.
4. Load up on the green. If there is a veggie tray to snack on before dinner, stay close to that to avoid nibbling on chips or cheese balls or other heavier-calorie snacks. And be sure to load your plate with as many vegetable-based dishes as possible. If there aren't many (or any) healthier options, bring your own! Grab a veggie tray from the store (easy-peasy) and check out the 7 Days of Thanksgiving menu that I've put together for some delicious vegetable based (and substituted) dishes that you can feel better saying yes to!
5. Use a smaller plate. Most people's taste cravings are satisfied within the first three bites, so if you use a smaller, salad-sized plate, then you can fill it up, without overeating. And if you chose to go back for seconds, your portion size will most-likely be proportionate to the size of the plate. Woo hoo!
6. Take a walk with family or do something active after dinner, whether that means flag football, the Turkey trot 5k or even if it is just getting up, moving around and helping with the dishes. Turkey contains triptophan which, when combined with the lethargy that comes from being stuffed fuller than a Thanksgiving turkey, only makes you feel more tired. And throughout the holiday season, continue with your healthy routines – both in exercise and making healthier food choices, stick with it! Don’t let holiday get togethers and travel derail you for long. Holiday vacation is not an excuse to be lazy.
How are you planning to stay on track this holiday season?
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