I will be the first to admit that in the past, I indulged WAY TOO MUCH on Thanksgiving. I mean, it's so hard not to, right?! I remember the days of getting up the next morning, stepping on the scale, and then feeling that pit in my stomach. My family is Italian so not only did my Thanksgiving dinners include the typical turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, but it also included (and still includes) pasta! On top of that, my grandmother (who is one of our famous Thanksgiving cooks) wasn't happy with just turkey. We also used to have ham and beef too. Yikes! While the food has tamed down a bit, a lot of it is still there. In fact, I was just told the other day that there will be perogies this year. So I guess you could say that when we spend Thanksgiving with my family, it is a bit non-traditional in terms of food.
While I could sit here and write a post about how you shouldn't eat any of that food and gorge yourself with carbs all day, we all know that it's not going to help. The food is still going to be there and the temptations are going to be running wild. This will be my third Thanksgiving with a "healthier" approach and I have to say, I am loving not ending the day feeling bloated, stuffed, and "icky." BUT, I DO still indulge in some of my favorite Thanksgiving foods, including pie. So, what's my secret? That's today's topic!
I am going to outline some of my tips that have helped me avoid that Thanksgiving weight gain! I know we are still a week away from the big day; however, I am someone who likes to go in to the holidays with a plan in place and quite frankly, these are tips that you could {and should} use on a daily basis too!
My goal is to avoid the picture below!!
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| NOT THIS YEAR! |
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| Eat Breakfast! |
1. EAT BREAKFAST! You know when you were younger and your parents and/or teachers always said "breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Guess what? They weren't lying! Somehow though, this seems to be a meal that TONS of people skip! Starting your day with a fulfilling and healthy breakfast will give you the energy to begin your day on the right foot. I don't mean going through a drive through and getting an egg mcmuffin either. I also don't mean picking up some instant oatmeal that you THINK is going to be a healthy choice but is loaded with sugar. Having a bowl of 'real' old fashioned oats with some fruit is a great choice! Getting up a few minutes earlier to ensure that you are having a healthy breakfast will definitely be worth it. One of my favorites is a veggie omelet! I went out to eat with my daughter for her birthday and while I could have easily gotten caught up in the big fluffy pancakes and syrup that she was having, I stuck with a better choice.
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| Drink Water! |
2. Stay Hydrated! It is crazy what drinking your daily allowance of water can do. I always have at least one or two challengers in my accountability groups talk about the positive changes they experience simply by drinking enough water. Not only does water help you to feel full / control your calorie intake, but it also helps to energize your muscles, keeps your skin looking healthy, and of course, helps flush those kidneys (among many other benefits). So, how much water should you be drinking? Aim to drink half of your body weight in ounces.
3. EXERCISE! I know, I'm sure you aren't surprised to hear this! But seriously, getting daily exercise in is super important. I admit that I used to think I was way to busy for this, especially as a mom of two young children. When it comes down to it though, taking these steps to stay healthy isn't just for yourself, it is for your family too! So, if that means I work out at 9:00pm at night because I had a crazy day, then so be it! There are SEVERAL home fitness programs (I can get you hooked up!) that are 30 minutes or less. You don't have to drive to a gym, figure out child care, and then stare at equipment that you don't know how to use effectively. And no, I am not against gyms, I just find it much more convenient to work out at home. Just the other day my husband was going to be late for dinner so while my girls were eating at our normal time, I was right next to them getting my workout in! How much easier does it get?! Do you have kids that you think "won't allow" you to exercise? Trust me when I say, if YOU make it a habit, they will begin to see it and maybe even exercise WITH you!
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| Exercise Daily |
4. Use a small plate! Don't think I'm crazy on this one. It really is a mind game. The larger the plate you have, the more room for food. So, do yourself a favor and stick with a small sized plate before you load up. Just try it. Enough said....
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| Use a Small Plate! |
5. Socialize without the munching! You get what I'm saying here? After dinner is over and you are hanging around socializing with friends and/or family, stay away from the food! If you find that there are treats sitting around in front of you, move your seat or push them away! If you have control of temptation, then do something about it!
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| Food Tracker |
6. DON'T wait until dinner time to eat! AKA: Don't save your calories. Track your food instead! I personally am a 21 Day Fix LOVER! It is a simple nutrition plan that includes 100% normal foods. I know that on Thanksgiving I am going to be having an extra carb, so, I am going to make sure I don't use up that carb in the morning! Tracking what you eat either through a food journal or an app like My Fitness Pal can be extremely beneficial. It's nice to see "at a glance" all of the food you eat within a day. It really puts things in perspective. Going along the same subject, don't wait until dinner to eat (even if your dinner is at 2:00pm). This is an approach I actually used to take. I would have something really small in the morning to "save room" for all of the food I was going to be indulging in throughout the day. That just makes it worse. You will be SO hungry come meal time that you will end up eating MORE food than if you would have just spaced out your meals for the day. Make sense?
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| Thanksgiving Tips |
7. Mind your portions and watch the leftovers! It's inevitable that you will most likely indulge in some foods that you don't normally have on a daily basis, so, mind your portions! Rather than scooping out a double portion of mashed potatoes, stick with about 1/2 cup. If you plan to have potatoes, then pass on the rolls. It's kind of a give and take situation. Most Thanksgiving meals are carb overload, which will make you crash after dinner AND make you hungry shortly later. In addition to this, watch the leftovers! Thanksgiving is one day, not multiple! So, to avoid extra carbs multiple days in a row, just stick with Thanksgiving day. Oh, and while you're at it, STOP EATING WHEN YOU ARE FULL!! ;)
8. Start with the veggies! When you sit down for dinner, rather than grabbing the turkey and mashed potatoes, grab the veggies! I've noticed around our Thanksgiving table there never seems to be much room left for the greens, resulting in very little veggies for the day. If you start filling your plate with the healthier food, you don't have the space to double or triple up on the other food!
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| Shakeology |
9. Shakeology I am obviously a huge supporter of Shakeology, which is a nutritional shake that provides you with your daily dose of nutrients. It has the proper carb to protein ratio which will keep you feeling fuller, longer! Shakeology is NOT a protein shake but it IS a meal replacement shake (or it could be used as a snack). I love the convenience as much as I love the taste! There are so many treat recipes that you can use throughout the holidays. When it comes down to it, in my opinion, this is the PERFECT time of year to have it on hand. I love that I can get a little chocolate fix in without the guilt (and fat / calories / sugar)!
10. Post Thanksgiving accountability Thanksgiving begins the craziness of social gatherings, holiday stress, and treats / cookies galore! Just a few weeks or so after Thanksgiving we are at it again with a big holiday meal to prepare for. So, I am offering some holiday accountability in my HOLIDAY SURVIVAL Group! We will begin planning week on Monday the 23rd and then kick off Day 1 on Monday, November 30th! You can read about the details HERE!
Within this group, you also have the OPTION of doing a post Thanksgiving
3 DAY REFRESH! In any case, you will have FULL SUPPORT throughout the ENTIRE month of December! Then, we will get down to business after the holidays in my New Year New You Challenge coming in January 2016!!
If you would like to grab your spot please fill out and submit the application below!
*****If you are already working with a Coach then please reach out to him or her to see what options you have! *****
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| Let's stay Healthy through the Holidays! |
Don't wait until January to get started. Let's find that healthy balance NOW!
Labels: Avoid Thanksgiving Weight Gain, Health and Fitness Online Support, Healthy Holiday Tips, Healthy Thanksgiving Recipe, Lisa Decker, Meal Planning, Successfully Fit, Tips to staying healthy over the holidays
