The struggle is real this time of the year. All these holidays that are basically based on food (your favorite thing) and here you are trying your very best to stay fit (your least favorite thing). Between the appetizers, cheese plates, and giant turkey dinners how are you going to make it through?
Us girls who love food are seriously struggling to try to not eat everything in sight. “Try a little of everything!” they said, “OK, good idea,” we said. Then 3 plates and a wardrobe change to sweatpants later, we’re regretting every life choice we’ve ever made.
Being the girl who literally lives for food but is also trying to stay fit is tough during the holidays, but there are ways that we can make it through this together.
Before the holidays start, try to make it a point to get a little bit more active than usual. Whether it is actually leaving the house and going to the gym or just doing some small stretches, yoga, or simple exercises, anything helps to burn calories.
An easy and quick exercise to slip into your day is to do squats a few different times when you do a specific activity, such as wash your hands. You could also do wall sits or planks during a commercial for your favorite TV show that you sit down and watch at night. Another simple thing you could do is just do leg lifts before you go to bed to tighten those thighs and legs and make that butt look stellar in that little black dress.
To prepare for the immense amount of food you’re about to take in, try to eat more of a keto diet on the days surrounding the holidays. This is a diet that focuses on very low carbs and a lot healthier proteins and fats. It is good to eat vegetables and fruit with this diet, along with trying to drink as much water as possible.
Some healthy ideas of foods to eat are eggs, avocados, cheese, sausage, and leafy green vegetables. There are a lot of supplements that can help with boosting your body into ketosis, such as the Pruvit product line. With eating a healthy keto diet and exercise it is easy to lose a lot of weight rather quickly. The only thing to worry about is continuing the diet a healthy lifestyle to maintain the weight loss.
Once your holiday celebrations start, you need to keep the mindset that you still have time to get that rockin’ bod by the end of the year.
So while you’re mingling at the family party, stop yourself from “grazing.” Grazing is grabbing a cookie each time you pass the tray or having 18 pieces of cheese with olives just because it’s there. Grab either a glass of water, wine, or a low-calorie drink to sip on while you are catching up with all your friends and family. You could also go for some fruits, veggies, or nuts so that you are not stuffed before you get to the table.
And when dinner is served, eat with a purpose. When dishing your plate up, start with a smaller plate so that you have less room to fill up. Make sure that you start by putting the fruit and vegetables on it first. This way it will look like you have more food on your plate than you will.
The second thing that you should add to your plate is your protein. Eat a filling serving of your favorite meat whether it is beef, ham, or turkey. This will be the thing that not only keeps you full, but will still give you that stuffed feeling. If you are eating family style, make sure to eat slowly and wait at least ten minutes between servings.
Make sure that you are not wasting calories on things that you do not even like. A lot of times people will tell you to make sure and try everything; however, if you are trying to keep those calories down, is it really that important to consume calories you don’t even want to? This is most important when it comes to desserts and sugary foods.
Once everyone’s done eating, make sure to clean everything up and put it away immediately so it isn’t tempting you throughout the rest of the day.
Another tip is to try to plan activities to keep everyone moving as compared to sitting. This will help burn the extra calories from your meal without really trying. From cornhole to beer pong, do whatever it takes to get everyone up instead of dozing off on the couch.
Follow my blog farther at BLOG ME SOME LOVE‘s Facebook Page!