Oh my gosh you guys, the holidays are within arms reach! I LOVE this time of year! I am the type of person that loves to enjoy every part about the fall and Thanksgiving season and I also LOVE Christmas more than anything, BUT I believe that you need to enjoy that wonderful Thanksgiving feast before you turn on any Christmas music or put up the Christmas tree! With all of this being said, let's talk a little about how to be able to enjoy yourself during the holiday season and not fall completely off track with your diet.
Some of you may already know that I was once overweight, unhappy/depressed, and unhealthy (and if you don't know, now you know!). I have now kept my weight off for quite some time, but one thing throughout the years that hasn't changed is my love for FOOD! I love food so damn much! And I'm not talking the healthy stuff, I'm talking about all of the unhealthy yumminess that we all love but know it's not good for us! When I was overweight Thanksgiving was MY holiday! I loved to cook all of the deliciousness that specific day had to offer, so when I lost weight I had to find a happy balance to figure out how in the heck I could still eat everything I love and not gain all kinds of weight during the process. What I didn't know then, was that it's not going to be just one day that's going to make you gain all that weight, it's multiple bad decision after bad decision that makes that happen.
I'm not here to tell you how to eat clean on the actual holidays or that you can't enjoy yourself at all, I'm not that mean! But I am here to tell you that you can eat healthy throughout the holiday season and still enjoy yourself on those big days and not feel one bit guilty about doing it. If you stick to a healthy well balanced diet throughout the season, come Thanksgiving and Christmas you can have all of your favorites on those specific days, including some yummy pumpkin pie or the dessert of your choice!
Here's some quick tips for those big days of yummy goodness.-
You can have all of the turkey/protein you want that day!
Put just a spoon full of each of your favorite sides on your plate.
If you want to go back for seconds, go for the turkey! Like I said, unlimited turkey!
Instead of sitting on the couch and taking a nap right after you feast, go for a walk around your block or your neighborhood.
Wait until after your walk to have that yummy dessert you've been eyeballing all day.
If you're hosting Thanksgiving, try to only buy as much food as you will need just for the day.
If you have leftovers give them to your guests!
Thanksgiving and Christmas are only one day, so make sure to get back on track with your diet the very next day.
These tips may not seem like much, but they really do help! If you need help with a meal plan to keep you on track this holiday season, I have a couple different options for you. You can purchase our Eating to Lose meal plan and guidelines right here on our website, or if you're needing more accountability and a more customized approach I offer full nutrition coaching with weekly/daily check ins and a custom meal plan.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this short read and I just want to wish you all a wonderful holiday season filled with lots of love and spent with the people you love most! Cheers!
