Enjoy your Holiday Eating and Stay in Shape

Holidays are almost here, some of us already started preparation for holiday parties. We know what this means - enormous amounts of food!

Are you concerned about gaining weight?  Well, probably yes, as temptations are everywhere.

It gets worse. Our cold climate encourages you to bundle up on your couch and watch a movie. Fitness?  Are you joking?  It’s no wonder so many people have such a difficult time to control their weight. Well, it doesn’t have to be that way.

I’ll be honest, even though it’s my job to encourage you to eat balanced meals and stay fit all year around, I’m not a fan of depriving yourself during the holiday party or at least not completely.

I will show you few simple tips how to eat during the holidays so you can still enjoy the seasonal goodies without feeling guilty.



Here are my holiday eating tips:

Eat regular meals

The first mistake, many people do, is avoiding eating all day because a huge holiday dinner will be served later in the afternoon or evening. On the contrary, you should eat regularly throughout the day.

Snacks

For those who are in charge of food preparation, do not forget to have ready snacks, such as crunchy veggies, nuts, some fruits and my favorite is always a hard-boiled egg. Do not starve! You will eat less later.


Meals

Have your breakfast with proteins. Eat lunch smaller than usual but also include proteins.  These meals will help you to burn calories and prevent overeating in the evening time.


Watch starchy veggies
Eat first salad, meat and cooked vegetables. At the end try some potatoes or beets. In this sequence of eating you will not eat potatoes at all or eat very little.

Portions

Use rather a side plate than regular dinner plate. Do you know that in America we have much larger dinner plates than in Europe?! No wonder our waist line is expending.


Hydrate

Have a glass of water handy. Remember for every drink you should have a glass (250ml) of pure (filtered) water. Also drink water before your holiday meal.

Desserts
Enjoy your holiday desserts, but do not overeat. Don’t restrict yourself. Have this cheat day! One day of indulging is not going to break the results you're getting with your balanced nutrition and fitness routine, as long as you make sure a feast like this is a very rare occasion.

Enjoy your workout

Just make sure you will go to the gym the day after a holiday party for a super high intensity resistance training workout. In fact, training very hard with weights the day after festive eating will give you the best boost from the super-saturated muscle glycogen in your muscle cells.

So there you have my best tips for your well being during the holidays.

If you like this article please forward to your family members or friends.

Want more tips on eating healthy or how to manage your weight, please contact me. I am here to help YOU!

Maria Pawlicka  BAA, M.Sc., CNP

Certified and Registered Nutritionist