Do you fall into the holiday ‘weight gain trap’ every December? If so, it’s understandable—but there’s a way to bypass the overindulgence and overeating. Stay on track and keep your holiday sanity! Our annual eating guide will point the way to a weight maintenance plan you can easily stick to!
Meal Prep
If your food is ready to eat, you’ll be more likely to stick to a clean eating plan—and resist the indulgent sugary snacks at the office! Meal prepping is the perfect way to track your food, and control what you eat. Prepare a week’s worth of protein, fats and carbs on Sunday. When it’s time to eat, just grab it, warm it up and go!
Drink Plenty of Water
Here’s a rule of thumb for keeping excess holiday calories at bay: drink two glasses of water as soon as you get up, one glass before every meal, and one glass after. Water will help you stay full, detoxify your system and act as a defense against mindless munching.
Keep Healthy Snacks at the Office
When you’re hungry at work, it’s very tempting to grab a candy bar from the vending machine or a handful of your neighbor’s cookie stash. Resist the urge by proactively being on top of your 3pm salt and sweet cravings, and stash healthy snack options in your desk. Almonds, Peanut butter and crackers, trail mix, popcorn cooked in olive oil (not butter), or homemade energy bars are all satisfying, nutrient dense options.
Fill Up Before the Holiday Party
It’s too had to resist a spread of deliciously decadent food at a company party when you’re hungry. A little trick to beating the overeating trap? Fill up before you go. Show up after you’ve cooked yourself grilled salmon and quinoa, a grilled chicken wrap or a smoothie loaded with your favorite berries and chia seeds. Eat before you party, and you could save yourself 1,000 or more calories.
Cut Out the Sugary Drinks
A pumpkin spiced latte should be considered an annual treat—not a every morning indulgence. The same goes for banana bread, gingerbread cookies or peppermint spiced cake. Pick and choose what you really love to ‘calorie splurge’ on this time of year, and give yourself a guilty-free indulgence—once. Then, get right back to your smart eating plan, and eliminate the weight gain blues, altogether!
