Avoiding Overindulgence During the Holidays

 

You know it's coming!

This is Thanksgiving week, and whether you have a large family gathering planned (I won't tell!) or you're staying home, there are certain dishes that we just cannot live without this holiday season. The threat of staying home lead us to purchase a ham, turkey, green beans, cream of mushroom soup, French onions, potatoes, gravy (yes, mix), corn and all of the other wonderful fixin's that are required to make a big huge Thanksgiving meal! I'm just realizing that we left out all of the sweets though. Grandmas usually makes those. *Sniff, Sniff*

Indulging in our favorites, our comfort foods, our reminders of family shouldn't be something we are prohibited from doing, right? I agree! Food is a source of energy, but we should also enjoy what we eat. So here are a few of my tips for Avoiding Overindulgence. 

1. Plan Your Day:  Think about the day ahead and what you will be faced with. Remember that you aren't just eating, you'll be drinking as well. One side of my family is pretty much water and iced tea, where the other likes to indulge in a few beers after dinner. If you are going to be having a large meal for lunch, stick to something light for breakfast, less than 300 calories. Then fix yourself a much smaller plate of leftovers for dinner. If your larger meal is the evening meal, eat a sensible breakfast with a healthy protein and carb, then a light lunch (300 calories or less) and enjoy your holiday meals! 

2. Pace, Portion Control, Avoid Grazing:  Simple, right? Ha! I know you see that pile of treats sitting there on Grandma's kitchen counter. I do, too. In fact, I tend to stand right next to it under the guise of keeping my kids' little fingers out of the cookies, while doing my part to make sure there aren't any left at the end of the day. Grab a cookie, tell yourself how many you are going to eat, but don't eat them all at once! Save some for dessert. Which leads me to portion control, which may be the hardest part! But really, savor the bites you take. Shoveling a huge pile of every dish in the house into your mouth is likely less satisfying than just savoring each bite. Oh, and avoid grazing. Wait for the meal! Enjoy the event that is sitting down with family to enjoy time for thanks and thanksgiving!

3. Supplements: I have a couple extra tricks up my sleeve! It may be too late for you to jump on board with Plexus before your Thanksgiving meal, but there are Black Friday Specials coming, so you will be ready for Christmas! Here is my list of tools to help me Plan, Pace and Control my eating habits this week!

    - Slim Hunger Control: By drinking my Slim approximately 30 minutes before my largest 
        meal, my stomach will feel fuller, keeping me from overindulging. 
    - MetaBurn: This little pill does a lot of things. Boosts metabolism, helps burn stubborn fat
        and gives a natural caffeine boost to my day.
    - Lean: My Whey Protein Meal Replacement! This will be my meal prior to the big meal.
        Combined with 8oz of Skim Milk, this meal is just 250 calories! 
    - Balance: This one is the best part! Balance slows the absorption of sugar and carbs. Take 
        this after you've finished your Slim.

Obviously #3 is optional and those first 2 points can be applied to anyone.

Another tip: DRINK YOUR WATER!
Drink 8-12oz of water 30 minutes before the meal, but also stay hydrated throughout the morning to reduce unnecessary eating and after the meal to help with digestion.