Photo of big family sit feast dishes table around roasted turkey multi-generation, relatives making group selfies raising wine glasses juice in living room indoors

 

As you’re preparing your menus, making your grocery lists, and checking them twice, we wanted to offer our 5 top healthy-eating tips on how to “survive” holiday gatherings that seem to be entirely focused on food, without completely derailing your weight loss efforts.

1. Don’t “save room” for later!

One of the biggest mistakes people make is to cut back on their food intake or not eat anything at all before a holiday meal. Not only will this set you up to eat everything in sight, but it can also cause your blood sugar to drop making you feel tired and grumpy (aka: “hangry”), which is never any fun! Start the day with a balanced breakfast – such as eggs for protein and healthy fat, and veggies for fiber – to ensure your blood sugar is stable and you’ll be less likely to have cravings and overeat.

2. Have a plan.

Establish some ground rules in advance of a gathering that allow you to indulge, if you choose, but not pig out. If you are planning to have some dessert, aim for items that are homemade as opposed to store-bought which often contain hazardous trans fats, sugars, and refined flours. For ideas on some low-carb desserts, check out our keto Apple Crumble and Pumpkin Pie recipes!

3. Bring on (or bring) the veggies.

Vegetables are high in nutrients and fiber, which will help to keep you from overindulging on the other “not so nutritious” items. But it’s hard to add veggies to your plate that if there are no actual vegetables being served at your holiday dinner. Consider bringing a dish of non-starchy veggies to the festivities. If you need ideas, check out these low-carb mouthwatering recipes!

4. Balance your plate.

Fortunately, when it comes to a Thanksgiving buffet there are a lot of real food options to make balancing your plate easy. A balanced plate means a quality animal protein (bring on the turkey), good fat (butter, avocado, nuts and olives for example) and healthy carbohydrates (mostly non-starchy vegetables). This combination will help balance your blood sugar, keep your metabolism revving, your mood stable, and give your body the nutrients it needs to function properly.

5. Don’t be too hard on yourself.

Remember that the holiday season should be a time of celebration and relaxation. If you do happen to eat more than you planned, don’t beat yourself up, just get right back on track.

Looking for some yummy recipes to help balance out your holiday spread? Download our free low-carb “Better Choice Holiday Recipes!”

Don’t just survive the holiday season… THRIVE!

Do the holidays have you feeling stressed and out of sorts? Are you having trouble sleeping or lack the energy to keep up with the never-ending list of to-dos? Are you struggling to lose weight no matter what you try? It’s not your fault! It’s the stress of everyday life throwing your body out of balance, and we want to help.

Our 14-week holistic weight loss and wellness program can help you not only can you lose 15-22 pounds in just 30 days, but you’ll learn how to keep it off for good while gaining freedom over:

  • Bloating
  • Cravings
  • Mood swings
  • Sleepless nights
  • Low energy
  • PMS
  • Night sweats/Hot flashes
  • Lack of libido/zest for life
  • And so much more!

Now is the PERFECT time to focus on YOU! Give yourself the gift of better health, less stress, and more SPARKLE this season!

Start with your FREE consultation today at any of our BeBalanced locations nationwide!

Be well!

Your dedicated team at BeBalanced.

Article featured in Your Health Magazine.