Happy, happy Thursday!
I had an extremely busy day of teaching, office stuff and a whooooollleeee lot of training! Staying busy keeps me from getting too homesick, so it's definitely a good thing, but I am exhausted! Thankfully I was up early to work out so now, I'm home, cuddling with the Fitness Pups!
Lets talk about a topic we all love now, but typically feel guilty about later. I've got the tricks to help you enjoy those treats, completely guilt-free.
Enjoying the sweet things in life is an important part of keeping your health and wellness in balance. Indulging doesn't necessarily have to be food and drink, it could be sleeping in, staying up late to watch your favorite Netflix shows or splurging on that extra special yoga mat you've had your eye on for the last few months. There's a key to indulging that allows for enjoyment without regret. The biggest key to remember is that indulging is not something we should do every single day, especially when it comes in the the form of food/drink.
Here are some tricks I try to use to keep the enjoyment in indulging and the regret at bay:
1. If you don't love it, don't eat it. Rather than sneaking a donut every time someone leaves them in the break room, the cookies brought over by neighbors or the baked apple pie by your favorite grandmother just because, be picky about what you choose to indulge in. Just because it's there, does not mean you have to eat it. Particularly at parties, special events, choose only a few of the things you really love.
2. Fill up on lean protein and veggies first. These foods are the essentials, the most important in my opinion. In eating these items first, not only are we ensuring our body is getting the nutrients it needs, but also leaving little to no room for less nutrient dense items such as casseroles, breads and pie. Hopefully by the time we get all the good stuff in first, we won't want as much of the not-so-good for us stuff.
3. Drink water with meals. Save the beer, wine, champagne, egg nog or whatever calorie ridden beverages you enjoy for later. When we are eating an entire meal, often times the liquid is just around to wash the food down. It may as well be water which not only contains no calories but has so many benefits for the human body in and of itself. Furthermore, dehydration will cause us to overeat, crave unhealthy foods and slack on our workouts so focusing on water is a great tip to stay on track. Treat that glass of wine as a special treat and enjoy it on its own.
4. Bring your own, plus enough to share. If you're attending a holiday party and are worried about the lack of healthy options, start with #2 and fill up on a good dinner at home so you won't be as hungry or tempted once surrounded by macaroons and punch. Secondly, bring your own healthified version of something to share. This way, if no one else brings anything healthy, you know you have your item to fall back on.
5. Leave it at the party. If you know bringing the leftovers home will be too much of a temptation for you, leave what you brought at the party!
6. Special events are for socializing, not eating. In America, every event we have tends to revolve around food. Allow yourself to be present this year and rather than thinking of all the ways you are going to fight the urge to overindulge at your next event, focus on spending quality time with loved ones and enjoying the festivities.
7. Don't get too comfortable in those yoga pants. Lounging around is great, especially in your favorite pair of old sweats and your significant others' t-shirt. But don't wear clothes like that for more than a day or so. Keep your skinny jeans nearby to give you a gentle reminder of your healthy, ideal weight before it's too late, and those jeans are way to tight!
8. Lastly, remember this quote. Don't do anything today, you won't be proud of tomorrow.
Enjoy your night!
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