Party Pounds

Hey yall,
Caitlin here- I don't know about you guys, but if you are like me, you have a bunch of parties to attend this season. I have been to 3 already this week and know I have at least one more to go this season. That raises the question, how can you survive all of these parties without packing on all the pounds??? Here are some tips that can help you have fun and not ruin all of your hard work throughout the year.

1) Watch what you eat.
Now I understand that this is a duh! statement. What I mean is this- eat lite throughout the day. This allows you to save your calories (or points plus) for later in the day. This does not mean you have to starve yourself. It simply means making healither choices and filling up on lower calorie foods. For example, yesterday I knew I had an ugly sweater Christmas party to attend. Thus, for breakfast, instead of having some waffles, milk, and fruit I decided to have 4 oz of greek yogurt (high in protein- great filler!), with a handful of blackberries w/ splenda mixed in, and a diet V8 berry blend. This filled me up with fewer calories and it was a great way to get in fruits, dairy, and veggies for the day.

2) Exercise
If you have a chance to, get in 15 min or more of exercise in during the day. By burning off calories this will give you more of a cushion of how many calories you can have at the party. Some great at home exercises could be cleaning the house (see previous post), lunges, squats, walking in place- just to name a few.

3) Be picky
While at the party be a little picky about what you eat. What I mean is this: scope out the table before you get your plate. See what healthy food there is and see what non healthy food there is, and then make a plan. Start with fruit and veggies on your plate- and get a lot of them, go easy on the dips. Then find the meats (if there are any). If you can get some chicken or turkey those are great choices cause they are lean meats. Then, pick out a few items you would like to have that might not be on the healthier side. For example, at my work party this week we were taken out to a nice italian restaurant. We had appetizers, a main course, and dessert. For my appetizer I ate some salad, and then a small portion of friend mozzarella. When it was time for the entree I began with roasted chicken, then I had 2 bites of alfredo with broccoli, and one bite of spinach manicotti. This allowed me to have a little bit of food that I wanted, I got in vegetables, and not over indulge or deprive myself. I then finished with two spoonfuls of cheesecake and a bite of apple pie. Again, this allowed me to have a little of everything I wanted, but I was able to leave the restaurant satisfied (not stuffed) and with a sense of pride and accomplishment.

4) Don't drink your calories.
Most people don't realize just how many calories are in soda. If you can stomach diet soda, get that. Otherwise get water. One thing I like to do is make my own lemonade. I just squeeze some fresh lemon in my water and add some non sugar sweetener. This gives me the sweet I am looking for in a drink with no extra calories.

5) Eat before you go.
I know this seems to defeat the purpose of going to a holiday party, but it's a great idea. Have a small snack before you go to that holiday hop or office party. Some good ideas are an apple/orange or veggies. They are low in calories, but decently filling. What this will do for you is make you less hungry at the party. This will help you not to fill up on high calorie high fat food that will most likely be at the party. It is now your job to not over eat! Eat until satisfied, not until you are stuffed.

Hope these tips help you to make it through the holiday season with your head held high. Any tips I missed??? Feel free to comment and tell us about them!