It seems like every time we start a “diet” a holiday or celebration pops up and we go into complete panic mode! I love when this happens because my goal is to educate my clients so that they know how to make smart choices that align with their goals for a life time. So let’s talk about weekend holidays or family dinners!
The first thing you need to do is pre plan for these. I always ask my mom “Whats for dinner?” I don’t think she really likes me asking that but it helps me plan and prepare. It also gives me the ability that if there isn’t something I can’t eat, I can bring a dish, I could bring my own supper. I also ask whats for dessert because depending on my training and goals if I wan’t to have some I’m going to need to plan for that. Some may think this is crazy but at the end of the day its about having a family meal and being together, not about what’s on the plate.
Second, know that everyone cooks different, usually with things like butter, or oils and creams so I will pre-log my meals and I will keep my fat as LOW as I can leading upto the day. This way if there are some extra calories in there that I didn’t account for I won’t go over!
Third, again depending on my training and goals, I will consider wine. I really like wine. So if your like me and would love to have a glass or two, try to have them within a two hour window of eating. Logging booze is tricky because of how it metabolizes so if your eating food while drinking I always recommend my clients think of those booze cals as fat cals. That sure makes wine ALOT less fun!
Fourth Step, get a workout in before your holiday meal! If you goto a gym like mine, its shut down on the long weekend, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get out those running shoes or put yourself through a quick little at home body weight session!
Lastly, If your working with a coach who is giving you refeed days talk to them about allowing your refeed day to fall on the holiday! This way you have extra calories to enjoy but it won’t through you to far off your plan! Cheat days in my opinion are a thing of the past! I can honestly say from the hundreds of clients I have worked with saying cheat day creates a poor relationship with your nutrition plan and with how you view certain foods. Remember, there are no such things as BAD foods, everything in moderation will be fine!
If you do end up going over on your day, don’t sweat it! Our results come from what we consistently do! If you have been doing really well one day won’t KILL your progress, just know that is a bit of a set back and to keep moving forward the next day.