For most of us December means a few more parties and meals out than usual, so to help you with the festive celebrations (and any weddings that you may be going to too!) I’ve come up with my top 5 tips on how to stop them from ruining your weight loss/maintenance efforts. You could call it my ‘Nic’s Nutrition Guide to a Party!’ ;).
I came up with these tips after I was faced with a 2 weddings in a month, plus several meals out with friends and wanted to think about how I personally exhibit a bit of ‘damage limitation’ – I don’t live a super strict lifestyle.. I live by the 80/20 rule (I’m giving away some of the tips now!!) where nothing is banned.. no single food or drink is bad for you, it’s just that some foods should be eaten more often than others (and you already know what those foods are.. if not, read my blog post on portion control!!).
So to see my top 5 healthy party or celebration tips check out my latest video and the tips below!
The Nic’s Nutrition Guide to a Party …
1) Remember the 80/20 Rule – If you eat healthily 80% of the time then you can afford to indulge for the other 20%. If you have a party coming up on a Saturday then you may want to eat slightly healthier Monday to Friday OR you may want to carry on with a small bit of indulgence every day, just making sure to pick your indulgences on the day of the party – and not seeing the whole day as a bit of a ‘free for all’!
2) Decide how much you’re going to Eat and Drink & Why – If you’re going to live by the 80/20 rule then you’re going to have to do some planning. Most people know what will be available at a party/celebration – namely savoury food, sweet food and alcohol. Decide how you want to ‘spend’ your calories, remembering to feast on food such as veggies whilst picking a little of what you fancy. For example, if you know that there’s going to be cheese and crackers served at the end of the meal then why not opt to have just half of your dessert – it will help you to stay within your ‘daily allowance’ without missing out.
3) Think ‘Damage Limitation’ – Most of us eat and drink a little more when we’re at a celebration.. so if this is inevitable then why not try to ‘tone it down’ a little by exhibiting some damage limitation. You could for example choose to have a lighter breakfast and lunch if you know that you’re going to be eating more later on OR you may want to have a larger lunch to help to stop you nibbling on things such as canapés if you want to save your eating for later. Keeping hydrated with calorie free fluids such as water will also help you to keep your hunger and thirst levels in check and will keep you feeling full.
4) Think about your Clothes & Hands – It’s a good idea to wear clothes that aren’t super tight, so that you don’t feel uncomfortable, but equally don’t wear something too baggy so that you’re tempted to eat and drink your way to a massive food baby! On the hands front, especially if there’s a buffet of food available, keep them occupied – whether it be a phone, camera or a drink, make it harder for you to nibble with spare hands ‘mindlessly’.
5) The Day After.. Get Back on Track! – When you wake up the next day, DO NOT FEEL GUILTY. What’s done is done, and it’s how you recover that matters – have a light, healthy breakfast such as a bowl of porridge, egg on toast or fruit with yoghurt, stick to your regular meals and keep active and hydrated. One day of overindulge ISN’T the end of the world and you can easily spread out the extra calories eaten over the forth coming week. Just because you over-ate on one day doesn’t mean that you’ll automatically gain fat.
I really hope that you’ve found these tips useful – I would love to hear yours! Have a fantastic December xx
