Holiday Eating Do’s and Don’ts

All though the weather has been hit and miss, we are well into the holiday season. As a personal trainer I know that many of my clients, as well as myself have many different events to attend. Most of these events contain different temptations to entice us away from our nutrition plans. The summer brings around office parties, friend get togethers, big birthdays or simply going away on holiday, all could hinder your weight loss chances.

No one wants to be the bore at the party who doesn’t drink and doesn’t eat so here is my guide to holiday eating dos and don’ts!

What you SHOULD do:

Eat less during the days building up to the event. You will arrive feeling great and probably looking great. You feel so good that you don’t want to ‘let yourself go’ on the party food and alcohol. Alternatively you may feel less guilty for doing so as you’ve worked so hard in the build up and deserve a break.

If you are at a party with a buffet, BBQ or bar try not to sit right next to them. You are a lot more likely to eat and drink more than you should when you are sat next to the buffet, BBQ or the bar.

Aim for the lower calorie white meat over dark meat.

Dress nice! After spending hours getting ready (minutes for the men sometimes) and looking great, maybe you won’t feel like demolishing a massive dinner.

If you are hosting a party offer your guests the chance to take some doggy bags home, get rid of the temptation the next day and go back to your usual healthy eating.

Bring your own dish! Nobody will know that it’s healthy or low calorie, plus you will know exactly what you’re eating.

What you SHOULDN’T do:

Don’t convince yourself that you will eat less after the event. The motivation for this won’t be too high as you were probably trying to get yourself looking great for the event that has just passed.

Eat for the sake of it if you have gone all inclusive!

Pile everything on the plate at the buffet, pick wisely and find the low fat healthy options to make up the bulk of your meal. Find the plates of fresh vegetables with a low fat dip, you aren’t sacrificing your weight loss goals or a tasty meal.

Drink pint after pint, alcohol as well as containing many calories will probably make you eat more as well as leaving you feel terrible the next day.

Go for cake or ice cream for dessert, there will normally be some tasty pineapple, mango or fruit salads which still taste great.

I do hope you found this short article helpful. You should take everything slow, the holiday season is a great way to see old faces and enjoy yourself, focus on socialising and having fun over a heavy meal. These tips will hopefully mean you can have just a good a time (if not better) without sacrificing your weight loss goals. There is no reason what so ever to have less fun just because you are eating healthily.

Good luck, stay strong and most of all enjoy.

Richard Clarke