Sunday, December 22, 2013

How to Avoid Over-Indulging During the Holidays

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Happy Holidays!  This week is going to be filled with celebrations, traveling, family dinners, get-togethers with friends, & FOOD.  Lots & lots of food.  So how will you deal with the vast array of delectable temptations put before you this holiday?  Here are a few tips that will help you avoid over-stuffing your stocking:
*Make a meal plan!  You know you have a busy schedule between now & New Years, so take a few minutes today to plan out your meals & snacks, identify the events that will have the biggest temptations & build a plan of attack!  Schedule healthy meals & snacks for yourself, as well as planning your cheat meal (and let's be honest, this week it will most likely be more than one, so take it easy & don't go hog-wild!)

*Watch your portions.  There are going to be lots of tempting foods around you  - choose wisely & keep your portions reasonable.  Remember to fill at least half your plate with vegetables & fruits!  Fill up on the good, HEALTHY stuff!


*Bring a healthy option to share!  Check out some of my clean eating recipes and take a dish to share with your loved ones.  Then you can load up on something you know is healthy & minimize your portions of foods that will derail your progress.

*Drink lots of water!  People often confuse thirst for hunger.  Ideally you should be drinking half of your body weight in ounces of water & being properly hydrated will help you avoid hunger pangs & keep you from grazing the appetizer table.  In that same vein - Don't drink your calories.  Alcohol, egg nog, soda...they may all be tasty treats, but those calories will add up quickly.  Choose your beverages wisely.

*Do not hang out by the food. Grab your water & your healthy snack & WALK AWAY FROM THE FOOD TABLE!  Socializing by the food table will lead to mindless grazing.  When dinner is over, help clear the table, do the dishes, play with the kids...do not hang out & keep picking away at the food.

*Beware of the dessert table!  This is my personal downfall.  I LOVE sweets & could easily go down the table sampling each & every delectable morsel.  But I know that all that extra sugar will just turn into belly fat...no thank you!  So I will plan my dessert wisely, carefully choosing the ONE dessert item to indulge in & I will keep my portion reasonable.  Then I will grab a mug of hot green tea & walk far, far away from the dessert table.

*Make your workouts a priority! You know you will be consuming extra calories this week.  Be sure not to miss a workout, even though you are extra busy.  Get your sweat on, make it count, & get that metabolism burning!

*If all else fails, eat only when you are actually HUNGRY.  You forgot your healthy dish at home, you are traveling & have no real control over the foods that are served, your will-power is low....even if you do not follow any of these other tips, stick to this one.  Only eat during your regular meal times / only eat when you are actually hungry.  Don't just grab a cookie or a hand-full of candy because "it's there & it tastes good."

I hope you have a very happy & healthy holiday & enjoy many blessed times with loved ones & friends.

Looking to improve your health in 2014?  Check out my New Year, New You Challenge Group.

Want to help others reach their health & fitness goals as a Beachbody coach? Complete this application to join my team: https://jhrbek.wufoo.com/forms/coaching-application/

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