I LOVE holidays--especially Christmas time! But what I HATE about the holidays is how LAZY everyone becomes...and (even worse) how "food rules" seem to disappear during these indulgent times with extra chocolate boxes, cookie bouquets and butter-induced treats we all (for the most part) say "no thank you" to! How come once winter comes around we all seem to fill up like bears getting ready to hibernate?! **NEWS FLASH: We are not going to sleep off all the extra weight we forgetfully decided to add into our diets!! (Although if possible it would probably be #1 on our wish list!)
So in light of this decadent/party-hopping time of year, I've decided to share my five favorite "Fit Tips" that I give to clients to keep them focused on staying healthy AND cutting out unnecessary calories during these cookie-overloaded months!
FIT TIP #1: Make your breakfast a healthy one.
I know this sounds repetitive and simple, but so many of us skip out on breakfast and have lunch as our first real meal of the day. DON'T DO THIS. What ends up happening is you eat more food later in the day, thus letting the body become "starving" so it craves unhealthy foods--such as white bread, pasta, sugary treats and (worst of all) larger portions. Not good for watching your figure! For breakfast, try to have lean protein, a complex carb & a little healthy fat. Some of my favorite ideas for breakfast: Plain oatmeal with 1 scoop vanilla protein powder topped with fresh berries and 1 tbsp raw almonds; Scrambled eggs (2 egg whites, 1 whole egg) served over 1 slice dry whole wheat toast with avocado; or 1 cup 0% greek Fage yogurt with 1 cup berries and about 10 almonds. If an actual "breakfast meal" is too much work, grab a think thin or larabar PLUS a piece of fruit, such as an apple or orange.
FIT TIP #2: Use only 1 piece of bread for your sandwich.
One of my all time favorites for lunch is an open-faced sandwich. You don't have to make your sandwiches like this all the time, but during certain weeks or months of the year when you know food will be EVERYWHERE, taking away a slice of bread at lunch time really does add up! Quick sandwich idea: Toast one piece of whole wheat bread (make sure one slice has at least 3g fiber and is no more than 110 calories), then spread with hummus and top with a slice of reduced fat cheese, avocado slices, lean protein--such as turkey, chicken or tuna--arugula, and thin apple slices (*apples are a great "top" piece for any sandwich). Use a fork and knife or pick it up (if possible) and eat SLOWLY. Same goes for if you're grabbing a sandwich to-go or a turkey burger at a restaurant--only eat half or take the top piece of bread off!
FIT TIP #3: Drink water ALL THE TIME.
It will fill you up AND clear your skin! All the extra sugar and simple carbs this month really do a number to your skin, and water is one of those miracle workers that can hydrate your pores and keep your body sensors in check. Remember that saying: "Out of sight, out of mind?" Well, let's not hold true to this when it comes to storing your water supply! Keep a bottle of water on your desk and another in your purse. Biggest dieting no-no: mistaking thirst for hunger!
FIT TIP #4: Exercise, Exercise, and then...Exercise Some More!!
Moving the body keeps the calories moving THROUGH our bodies--therefore eventually expending them!! If we don't move or decide "holiday time" equals "time to take off exercising" we couldn't be more wrong! We want to keep our metabolisms rolling on full speed as we decide to have that extra drink or piece of chocolate--and in order to do that, we need to get our butts kicked AT LEAST 3x a week! If you don't have a trainer or gym membership, put on your tennis shoes and hit the pavement!!
FIT TIP #5: Don't make dessert when you're hungry.
Similar to the saying: "Don't go grocery shopping when you're hungry." However this is a little more exact and to the point. DO NOT BAKE WHEN YOU'RE CRAVING A SUGAR COOKIE!! If you're wondering what happened to HALF the batch of cookies you just made--stop fooling yourself...we all know (and by "we" I mean "you") that they ended up in your stomach. When we make things we love to eat, we actually end up eating MORE of a bad thing than we should; thus ending up feeling sick, depressed and disappointed with ourselves. Don't let this be you.
And there you have it folks--My 5 best fit tips I can give for getting through this holiday season!! If anyone has their own "fit tip" they use, please post it and spread your secrets!! :)
Happy Holidays XO
I LOVE holidays--especially Christmas time! But what I HATE about the holidays is how LAZY everyone becomes...and (even worse) how "food rules" seem to disappear during these indulgent times with extra chocolate boxes, cookie bouquets and butter-induced treats we all (for the most part) say "no thank you" to! How come once winter comes around we all seem to fill up like bears getting ready to hibernate?! **NEWS FLASH: We are not going to sleep off all the extra weight we forgetfully decided to add into our diets!! (Although if possible it would probably be #1 on our wish list!)
So in light of this decadent/party-hopping time of year, I've decided to share my five favorite "Fit Tips" that I give to clients to keep them focused on staying healthy AND cutting out unnecessary calories during these cookie-overloaded months!
FIT TIP #1: Make your breakfast a healthy one.
I know this sounds repetitive and simple, but so many of us skip out on breakfast and have lunch as our first real meal of the day. DON'T DO THIS. What ends up happening is you eat more food later in the day, thus letting the body become "starving" so it craves unhealthy foods--such as white bread, pasta, sugary treats and (worst of all) larger portions. Not good for watching your figure! For breakfast, try to have lean protein, a complex carb & a little healthy fat. Some of my favorite ideas for breakfast: Plain oatmeal with 1 scoop vanilla protein powder topped with fresh berries and 1 tbsp raw almonds; Scrambled eggs (2 egg whites, 1 whole egg) served over 1 slice dry whole wheat toast with avocado; or 1 cup 0% greek Fage yogurt with 1 cup berries and about 10 almonds. If an actual "breakfast meal" is too much work, grab a think thin or larabar PLUS a piece of fruit, such as an apple or orange.
FIT TIP #2: Use only 1 piece of bread for your sandwich.
One of my all time favorites for lunch is an open-faced sandwich. You don't have to make your sandwiches like this all the time, but during certain weeks or months of the year when you know food will be EVERYWHERE, taking away a slice of bread at lunch time really does add up! Quick sandwich idea: Toast one piece of whole wheat bread (make sure one slice has at least 3g fiber and is no more than 110 calories), then spread with hummus and top with a slice of reduced fat cheese, avocado slices, lean protein--such as turkey, chicken or tuna--arugula, and thin apple slices (*apples are a great "top" piece for any sandwich). Use a fork and knife or pick it up (if possible) and eat SLOWLY. Same goes for if you're grabbing a sandwich to-go or a turkey burger at a restaurant--only eat half or take the top piece of bread off!
FIT TIP #3: Drink water ALL THE TIME.
It will fill you up AND clear your skin! All the extra sugar and simple carbs this month really do a number to your skin, and water is one of those miracle workers that can hydrate your pores and keep your body sensors in check. Remember that saying: "Out of sight, out of mind?" Well, let's not hold true to this when it comes to storing your water supply! Keep a bottle of water on your desk and another in your purse. Biggest dieting no-no: mistaking thirst for hunger!
FIT TIP #4: Exercise, Exercise, and then...Exercise Some More!!
Moving the body keeps the calories moving THROUGH our bodies--therefore eventually expending them!! If we don't move or decide "holiday time" equals "time to take off exercising" we couldn't be more wrong! We want to keep our metabolisms rolling on full speed as we decide to have that extra drink or piece of chocolate--and in order to do that, we need to get our butts kicked AT LEAST 3x a week! If you don't have a trainer or gym membership, put on your tennis shoes and hit the pavement!!
FIT TIP #5: Don't make dessert when you're hungry.
Similar to the saying: "Don't go grocery shopping when you're hungry." However this is a little more exact and to the point. DO NOT BAKE WHEN YOU'RE CRAVING A SUGAR COOKIE!! If you're wondering what happened to HALF the batch of cookies you just made--stop fooling yourself...we all know (and by "we" I mean "you") that they ended up in your stomach. When we make things we love to eat, we actually end up eating MORE of a bad thing than we should; thus ending up feeling sick, depressed and disappointed with ourselves. Don't let this be you.
And there you have it folks--My 5 best fit tips I can give for getting through this holiday season!! If anyone has their own "fit tip" they use, please post it and spread your secrets!! :)
Happy Holidays XO
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