While the holidays are a time for family and friends, we all know that food seems to be the key ingredient to every celebration! The average person gains five to ten pounds during this time of the year, so here are some simple tips to help you indulge without the bulge:
1) EXERCISE. Even taking 30 minutes out of your day to go on a quick walk will work wonders! Get family and friends involved and exercising will turn into some quality time with them (gotta love that QT)! I know you’ve been scrambling to find those last minute gifts and making sure everything is perfect before the guests arrive, so exercising is exactly what you need! Exercising will help you escape from all of that stress and make you feel like a new person!
2) Drink a GREEN smoothie or juice BEFORE. I am a huge advocate of this! Anytime I know I’m going to a dinner party or out to eat with friends (somewhere I might be tempted to eat something super unhealthy) I drink a green smoothie or juice before I go! It fills me up enough so I won’t be ravishing the menu when I get there, yet still leaves me with the right amount of hunger to choose the healthy option. If you go to a dinner party on an empty stomach, it becomes inevitable that you will make unhealthy eating choices.
3) Bring a healthy dish or two. Make a huge spinach salad with lots of yummy veggies, fruit kabobs, or a healthy dessert option that can fill your plate without the guilt. Making your own dish is great because who knows how much butter your Paula Deen of a relative put in that green bean casserole 🙂
4) You don’t have to clean your plate! I know our moms have all taught us to do the opposite of this, but eat until you feel satisfied instead of stuffed! Feeling full, yucky, and tired is the last way you wanna feel during this cheery time of the year!
5) Don’t be THAT girl/guy. Don’t be the one that gets too drunk at the party. Not only will you steer clear of being on Youtube the next day, but you’ll also steer clear of late night drunk eating! We all know alcohol lowers our inhibitions which makes us not give two cents if we eat half a pepperoni pizza at 2 am. So stay classy with your alcohol consumption… your ego and your waistline will thank you later 🙂
6) Stand up for yourself! We all have that one persistent family member that will push that piece of pound cake on you a million times before the night is over. Like we learned in elementary school.. just say no! Don’ t be “bullied” into eating foods you know you shouldn’t eat! Also, don’t let the unhealthy left-overs be pawned off on you or your family..that’s just more temptation that you don’t need!
7)Enjoy yourself! It’s the holidays for pete’s sake, so enjoy yourself! Don’t let food choices consume your thoughts when you should be enjoying time with family and friends! Be mindful of your choices instead of obsessive! Pick a few of your feast favorites, and place a small golf ball amount of it on your plate! All you need is a taste to satiate your tooth for those not so healthy options without feeling the guilt that comes along with it.
Happy HEALTHY holidays to you all!
With love,
Samantha
STAY HEALTHY with SAMANTHA 