Prepping For The Holidays

The Holidays are upon us and I personally love this time of year and all the food that comes with it. Here are a few tips and tricks that will have you enjoying the Holidays without going overboard on the scale.

• Drink two glasses of water and get a workout in first thing in the morning. 
• I normally don’t advocate for increasing your workout load to offset overeating or indulging, but for this time of year, it doesn’t hurt to tack on a little extra conditioning or cardio after training sessions. Because let’s face it we all know we are eating a little extra, extra around this time of year.
• Plan to get in lots of veggies and protein before attending events. For example, if attending an evening event try to think of lean and green meals for breakfast and lunch, with a good afternoon snack before heading off.
• When you get to your event build your plate, don’t mindlessly graze. Putting your items on a plate will really give you a sense of how much you are eating.
• Don’t be afraid to put what you really want on your plate. I can’t tell you how many times I used to do this in my early 20s….I would go to an event, load my plate up with veggies and only pick off what I really wanted there. The only problem is my picking turned into an all-out grazing fest, which actually caused me to eat double the amount of what I thought I was going to. So, with that said, yes put some veggies on your plate but actually put that serving of what you really want right next to it.
• Sneak in more natural movement. Park farther away from your destination, take the stairs, and sneak in walks on your breaks. 
• Alternate between wine and sparkling water at events to keep the calorie intake at bay!
• Sign-up for community involvement events to lend a helping hand. It’s a good way to give back and get you moving, to burn some of those extra calories.
• Prepare plates to bring to Holiday parties that offer a healthy alternative.