3 Tips you Need to Get Through the Holiday Week When Trying to Lose Weight!

So if you are thinking HOLY CRAP it is the week of Christmas, Hanukkah or whatever it is you are celebrating and you have no idea how you are going to stay on track with your weight loss goals- this article is FOR YOU!

I am going to be spilling my biggest tips on how to keep on course with your plan and not feel out of control once all the parties and events hit and even how to handle yourself in-between all the fun stuff 🙂

I know this week can get crazy, especially if you are like me and do your holiday shopping last minute. I’ve been know to go to Roosevelt Field Mall on Christmas Eve morning- just saying, so I get it haha

But anyways let’s get into exactly what you need to be doing to stay on track…

Balance Your Blood Sugar With Balanced Meals 

If you are eating nourishing meals throughout the day that balance your blood sugar it will prevent you from ever getting too hangry, which lets get real …being hangry is what makes us feel out of control with our food choices. To stop the hanger it is important to build balanced meals that emphasize foods that will keep you full and not break down to blood sugar. 

Foods that don’t break down into blood sugar… 

Protein: chicken, fish, beef, turkey, eggs, etc. 

Fat: nuts, nut butters, coconut, avocado, oils, etc. 

Veggies: broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, spaghetti squash, etc. 

When you focus on foods that do not break down into blood sugar it will help decrease cravings, increase energy and prevent mindless snacking all day long because your hunger hormones will be balanced. When your blood sugar is in control, you feel in control love and that is the first step to handling this challenging week like a rockstar!

Plan When You DO and DON’T Want to Indulge 

If your goal is to feel amazing in your body as well as shed a few more pounds then obviously we need to not be sipping down apple cider like it’s water or popping cookies like they’re carrots. But that also doesn’t mean you have to give them up all together!

You need to get real with yourself and ask yourself WHEN you want to have these fun foods and WHAT ones are really worth it to you. 

If every day you are downing 2 hot cocoa’s just because they were offered to you at work and grabbing bite size brownies out of the box that you are supposed to be bringing to Christmas every time you walk in your kitchen, you prob will not feel really good or reach your goals.

Instead, I would assess your week upfront as well as  each day and what it may bring. Think about what you have going on for the week and figure out when you may want to indulge. You also want to think about what is actually worth it to you and what is not worth it for you. For example, maybe Monday afternoon you have a holiday party after work but don’t really feel like that is a worth it time for you to indulge and you also know you can get those cookies that will be there from Stop and Shop whenever you want them! However, you know your aunt is bringing your FAVORITE pastries from that awesome bakery on Christmas Eve. and that’s when you want to enjoy yourself 🙂

Bottom line, we have to pick and choose our battles here. I say this with love but not every opportunity to grab a cookie needs to be taken! A lot of the times I see many women grab foods just because they are there and they really aren’t even that worth it. Keep those goals you have on the forefront of your mind. Sometimes it is worth it to take a little pit stop on your weight loss journey for some pastries and enjoying that moment with your family is priceless but other times we need to also think about what we want in the future and what we need to sacrifice now to ultimately get what we really want. 

Focus on Everything Else… Besides the Food

For some reason- we think holidays, we think food! But there is SO much more that makes our holidays special than the cookies and cakes that come along with it and I think a lot of people forget that. We tend to be food focused and in reality that holds us back from enjoying precious moments in our life with family and friends or actually taking in the gorgeousness of the holiday season itself.

Don’t get me wrong I LOVE food. It’s why I became a dietitian 🙂 But I also love going to see the Jones Beach Christmas lights with my best friend and god daughter, spending time with my cousins I barely see all year round and forcing my boyfriend to watch Elf for the thousandth time LOL! It’s important to learn to really take in these little moments because at the end of the day, that’s really what it is all about. When I look back and think about how focused I was on the food it is freeing to see how far I have come and I want the same for you 🙂

Grab my FREE Low Carb for the Holidays Guide while it is still out that honestly you can use all year around! I hope you have an amazing holiday, whatever it is you are celebrating and a happy new year <3