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Have a Nutritionista-Approved Holiday
Trainerpack is very excited to welcome a guest post from The Nutritionista.
You guys have probably heard every "stay healthy for the holidays" tip in the book by now, right? So I'm sure my tips won't be mind-blowing. After all, there's no magic bullet for holiday buffet situations. Just keep in mind that every choice you make during the holiday season and beyond will either take you closer to or farther away from your goals. It's totally up to you. That said, here are my tips for winning the war on holiday meals and parties.
Make sure you're physically prepared for battle. Try to squeeze in some exercise somewhere. If you're with family you never get to see, invite them along! Or just suck it up and wake yourself up before the rest of the family to get a quick workout in. The very LEAST you can do is take a walk. To further prepare yourself, take Rachel's tip of wearing some form-fitting jeans. No spandex for you!
Avoid sudden appetizer bombs. You're minding your own business when suddenly - HONEY ROASTED PEANUT ATTACK! SHRIMP COCKTAIL EXPLOSION! Those sneaky devils, right? Wrong! Appetizers can be easily avoided. They're usually just store-bought throwaway dishes anyway, so steer clear by posting up in another room or chewing gum while others munch. You'll get plenty of opportunities to immerse yourself in delicious fare, so there's absolutely no need to indulge (unless they happen to be a favorite, rarely eaten dish you look forward to all year).
Choose a plan of attack. In my mind, you can choose one of two options for holiday meals and parties to keep yourself from going overboard. Either get a small portion (and I do mean SMALL - think a couple bites) of everything that looks remotely appetizing, or get a healthier portion of the few (that means 3-4, guys) dishes that you like. You really can't have it both ways.
Determine an exit strategy. Once you've finished your plate, make it a point to stop focusing on the food. Don't stand around the buffet if you're done eating. I don't know about you, but I have a pretty hard time just being around food without eating it. Go mix and mingle with people in another room. Just make sure you're not in an arm's reach of the food, or you probably WILL reach for it!
Now that the battle's over, you still have a war to fight. Most likely, holiday food (and family members who want to feed you) will be around all season. Make the holiday about more than just food by finding other activities to engage in. Bring some board games for before/after holiday meals. Organize some kind of physical activity outside if the weather's decent.
Don't walk away with PHSD (Post-Holiday Stress Disorder). Even if you had one piece of pie too many, remember: It's just one day! It's not going to make you or break you. As Gena reminds us: "It's just food. Enjoy what's on your plate, and walk away without looking back." Don't allow food (and the over - or under-consumption of it) to have any power over your holiday. This post jokingly turns holiday parties and meals into a war we must fight, but keep in mind, if you enjoy yourself and feel great afterwords... you've already won!
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