I can smell the pumpkin pie cooking, the cider simmering and the egg nog pouring. It is rapidly approaching the holidays and that can send some of us into a tailspin with our weight loss and weight management goals. Why have two months of set backs when you can still enjoy the season AND make progress? Try these simple hacks and be on the look out before Thanksgiving for my Holiday Recipe eBook coming this way!
Eat on colorful plates (and keep them small) – both the color of your plate and the size can really trick your mind into being more satisfied with a smaller amount of food. Specifically scientists have found red plates to help people eat less. Lucky for us it is quite easy to find red plates this time of year!
Keep your liquor clear and organic when possible. Fewer toxins and sugars lead to less water retention as your body tries to purge the offenders. Less sugar leads to less fat storage and decreased inflammation. Try this low calorie sipper on Christmas: I like organic Prairie Vodka – cucumber flavor mixed with club soda, mint, lime and hardwood xylitol – garnish with raw cranberries and a mint leaf for red and green flare.
Take activated charcoal when consuming alcohol – it seeks out toxins and heavy metals to help bind and remove them from your body to give your liver and kidneys some assistance in the process. Don’t take along with other supplements or medications – it will bind to their ingredients and render them less effective as well.
90 seconds of activity prior to a meal – boosts insulin sensitivity, increases endorphin release to make you feel better, decreases stress and emotional eating, brings the focus back to doing something positive for your body so you crave or give way to fewer indulgences
When indulging choose fat or carbs. Have the bacon wrapped asparagus, the more decadent cheese, the fattier dressing on your veggies. Healthy fats are you friend! They will keep you fuler longer, have you more satiated with your meal and not cause the fat storing insulin spike your sugary options would cause.
Chew gum while cooking. Keep your mouth busy with some minty gum sweetened with xylitol. If you have a fresh mouth that is occupied you will be less likely to taste test everything and that can add up to tons of saved calories this season
Spend some time naked. What? When we cover up in baggy clothes and don’t pay attention to how we feel in our skin we tend to let those extra pounds pack on and not feel like such a big deal. But if you can find some time to maybe do housework in a sports bra and shorts, or take some time after a shower to give yourself a good look in the mirror. Don’t pass judgement, be sure you tell praise yourself for the parts you love, the person you are inside and then notice the areas of opportunity for change.