No, I’m not crazy. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with indulging every once in a while, especially on holidays and special occasions. I think most of us can agree on that. But, the thing is, sometimes you still want to stick to your diet during the holidays.
Why? I don’t know, maybe you’re super pleased with your progress so far and you don’t want to set yourself back too much, or maybe you’re afraid it could lead to 7 or 8 cheat days, who knows. Well, whatever the reason, we have some great tips for you on how to stick to your diet during the holidays. And, it’s actually not that hard 😉
Be aware of portion size. Especially on carb heavy or fat heavy foods, you want to make sure you are limiting yourself to 1 serving for during that meal. So maybe that’s 1 cup of mashed potatoes or 1/8th of a 9″ pie, just make sure you are aware so you can keep yourself from going overboard.
Watch the condiments. Sauces, gravies, and dressings can really rack up the calories. Keep it light!
The One Plate Rule. It’s pretty simple: only fill up your plate once. Don’t stack foods on top of each other and try to focus on proteins & veggies.
Don’t stand near the food. At a party or family gathering, etc make sure to stand away from the food to avoid mindless snacking.
Focus on socializing, not food.
Don’t show up to a social event hungry. I’ve totally been guilty in the past of trying to eat as little as possible before a big meal to “save” my calories, but it can definitely lead to overeating.
You don’t have to eat it. There are so many times where I’ve eaten foods I didn’t particularly like just because I felt like I’d offend someone. It’s not a big deal. If you don’t want it, don’t force it. Hold out for the good stuff.
Never drink your calories. Okay, maybe not never, but keep it intentional. Make sure it’s a drink you really want and be aware of the calories (mainly carbs) in 1 serving of the drink you love.
Never cheat twice. I love this advice. The focus really is on limiting it to a cheat meal instead of a full on cheat day.
Bring your own healthy treat or dish to a party. This gives you a back up in case all the food is unhealthy. We love our low carb oreo cheesecake shooters! Or our protein chip dip!
Give away or freeze extra baked goods. A lot of the earlier tips were party focused, but sometimes you’re at home & in the mood to bake. That’s literally me all the time in the winter. I do a few different things depending on the mood I’m in. I’ll either give the extras away, half the recipe, or make the full recipe & freeze the extras. If it’s cookie dough, I will freeze the extra dough, I won’t cook it yet.
Limit snacking to fruit or protein. That limits you to pretty much only healthy snacks, so that’s easy. I’m a snacker, so this helps me a ton.
Don’t be afraid to say no. People will understand and, honestly, they’ll probably really respect you for staying committed to your goals. If you’re afraid to use dieting as an excuse, you can always just say that something else filled you up or you’re just not really in the mood for it right now. Can’t argue with that 😉
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[…] from bringing a healthy dish you know you can count on, we have a ton of other tips for staying on track during holidays & social gatherings that are super easy to […]