Holiday Tips To Keep You On Track

1. Plan ahead.

The majority of foods for the holidays are fats and carbs. Have a high protein, low carb/low fat breakfast. (Example: Egg white omelet with veggies or greek yogurt). Enter into your MFP the meal you estimate you will be having later in the day and build the rest of your day off of that.

2. Don't go hungry.

Have light snack or voluminous meal before you family holiday event. This could be a big, micronutrient rich salad or your favorite protein bar. Fasting or not eating for awhile before the holiday meal can cause you to over eat - since you have been holding out on caloric intake just for that meal.

3. Eat around the "holiday meal".

Typically on holidays - especially thanksgiving - families eat one large meal all together. Your other meals throughout the day will be smaller. If your holiday meal is filling, you probably won't be hungry three hours after you eat... hold out a little longer than you usually do. A holiday like thanksgiving, I end up having a smaller breakfast, the holiday meal midday, and then a light dinner and snack in the evening. In some cases you may be splitting the holiday at multiple houses, fill your plate with smaller portions, pick and choose what you want to eat.

4. Bring a dish!

If you are not hosting the holiday event, offer to make something. This way you know what's in it. You can "create a recipe" in MFP and track your serving size.

5. Play it smart - eyeball and guesstimate your portions.

Be smart about it! Don't bring your food scale to the holiday event. Expect your weight to go up slightly following a "loosely tracked" day like this and some water retention to occur. It's ok! The next day get back to tracking accurately and consistency will bring your progress back in order.

6. Holidays are for enjoying the time spent with loved ones.

YOU are one of those loved ones... so be kind to yourself. Overeating/binging will only bring you discomfort and negative feelings. The food will always be there (this isn't the last meal you will ever have)! Concentrate and focus your time and energy more so on your loved ones.

7. Get up and move!

Thanksgiving and Christmas are coined as those holidays that you stuff yourself full and then couch potato the rest of the day. Increase your NEAT! NEAT is an acronym for "non-exercise activity thermogenesis". It's basically all the physical movement of our lives that isn't planned exercise or sports. It includes activities such as cooking, shopping, and even small movements such as fidgeting. Help clean up and do dishes after the meal is done. Get outside and walk the neighborhood with your spouse or family member - or head out by yourself!

8. Avoid the vicious cycle.

Let's say, you over ate. DON'T allow your mind to rationalize and think - "oh i'll just do extra cardio". Wrong. Simply avoid giving yourself that allowance. Eat within reason! Put that food to WORK..aka LIFT! The morning of thanksgiving, while the gym is open, get an awesome lift in. The day after, shuttle that food to the right place :)

9. How to track Holiday meals.

Search in MFP what it is you are eating and choose your estimated portion size. The proteins are easy! It will be the casseroles and desserts you will really be guessing on. Overestimate on the macros too - that will allow buffering room for error. Again, don't dwell on it - input what you may eat beforehand and then adjust it afterwards. If you blow over your macros, still track it - this will allow us to know how your body reacted to those estimated macros.

10. DRINK DRINK DRINK!

Chug your water throughout the day. Make sure you intake at least 1 gallon. It's helpful to drink a decent amount of water before and during your meal to fill you up more. ALCOHOL - this is totally track-able. You can even have a couple drinks AND track them! Email Jessie@fitbodyfusion.com to learn how!