Tips From a Personal Trainer to Stay “On Track” This Holiday Season

The holidays are here which means pressure to attend all the festive parties loaded with delicious foods and copious amounts of alcohol.

Now, obviously I want you to enjoy yourself- stay present, practice mindful eating and moderation with the foods and drinks you like and enjoy the most.

If losing body fat is your number one goal, you want to avoid going overboard.

Here I share my biggest tips to staying “on track” at these parties.

For food:

Skip the bread basket and/or chips

Opt for shrimp cocktail, deli meats or cheese if you’re feeling tempted or noshy at said party.

Load up on the protein

If you know you’re going to a party at night, have a breakfast and/or lunch high in protein!

Keep it light and simple so you can mindfully indulge later without guilt.

Avoid foods that are fried or sound heavily dressed in creamy sauces

Simple. Stay away from those extra calories by avoiding the creamy, cheesy sauces.

Eat mindfully and slowly

Make sure you sit down to eat your meals and savor the taste, smell and texture of your food. Put your fork down between bites and take your time while eating. Stay present!

Share dessert

If you want dessert, instead of having an entire serving to yourself, consider sharing it with someone.

For alcohol consumption:

Limit carbs

Limit carb the day you know you’ll be drinking. Get all carbs from veggies and the tag-along carbs in some protein sources. On the day you know you’ll be drinking, base your meals around protein and good fats.⠀⠀

Stick to hard liquor

Yes, stick to the hard liquors and skip the sugary mixers while drinking; i.e tequila/vodka/gin and club soda. Lime juice is always a good way to improve taste in drinks without adding calories. ⠀⠀

Hydrate!!

Alternate your drink with a glass of water so you don’t wake up with a killer hangover and so you can effectively pace yourself throughout the night. ⠀⠀

Plan your drinking

Know when you will be drinking, as staying on your weight loss journey will be impossible with frequent spur of the moment brunches & bar hops. ⠀⠀

Try to limit drinking to once a week at most especially if your number one goal is to lose body fat during this time of year.

Most importantly, remember that holidays only come around once a year and it’s important to enjoy it, stay present and keep in mind that one day or even one week “off track” won’t derail progress in the long run.

Keep in mind It’s what we do most of the time that matters most throughout the year- not what we do sometimes.