You already know that gorging on sweets isn’t a good idea, but no one says you CAN’T eat them, you just can’t eat A LOT of them! Moderation is the key! We need to remember this around the holidays. It’s too easy (speaking from experience!) to binge around the holidays, pack on a few pounds, miss a few workouts, then feel horrible and beat yourself up because “I know better than this”! You do know better so let’s start preparing for the holiday feasting frenzy now!
Here are some guidelines to get you through the holidays unscathed by the endless array of treats:
- Bring healthy food to a holiday party. Regardless of what else is there, you know your food will be “safe”.
- When tempted by a lot of yummies, go to the FOOD table first and eat real food. This way you’ll fill up on nutritious food before you go for the desserts.
- Eat a normal schedule. Don’t overindulge just because it’s the holidays. Calories are still calories – even on holidays!
- Work out! Do something to burn more calories.
- If cookie baking is too tempting and your will power is tested beyond capacity, try making non-edible holiday items, i.e. crafts, wreaths, decorations, etc.
- Refrigerate gravy and skim the fat off the top.
- Cook/serve more vegetable options than heavy carbohydrate meals.
- Substitute egg whites for whole eggs and skim milk for cream.
- Trim the fat off the meat.
- Limit alcohol consumption. It lessens your inhibitions and you tend to overeat. Ugh!
There are so many healthy recipes on the internet. I promise that if you google “Healthy Apple Pie Recipe”, you will come up with hundreds of websites where you can find a healthy alternative – even a delicious pie crust that does NOT use Crisco! You’ve been working so hard! Enjoy your holiday meals, but don’t eat so much you regret them! I’m always here to help you burn calories, but it’s easier to stay ahead of the game than behind the 8-ball! That being said, don’t think for a second that I don’t partake in holiday eating. I do! I LOVE chocolate chip cookies, but Michael and I make them from organic ingredients and use dark chocolate chips. I also love my dark chocolate cranberry brownies. Again, all healthy ingredients. Michael has a great recipe he uses for mac & cheese that is healthy AND delicious! My trick to not eating the whole batch of cookies or brownies in 2 days – put them in the freezer!!! It requires more work to get them out of the freezer and let them defrost than it does to open the Tupperware container as I walk past in the kitchen. It slows me down a bit! LOL! Find what works for you and enjoy your healthy holiday eating!!