3 Tips For Enjoying Holiday Parties Without Overindulging Guilt

Inevitably all will be making the rounds this holiday season to visit friends and relatives.  Undoubtedly everyone we visit will have the traditional spread of delicious foods that will tempt us into overindulging on the many treats available.

Anyone can still enjoy holiday parties and refrain from consuming too many high-fat foods and drinks. 

Here are some tips to help your refrain from overeating:

1. Before going out to any holiday party, have a small snack and plenty of water.  The old saying: Never food shop when you’re hungry?  Well, the same applies to holiday parties.  While you may have been dieting over the summer months in preparation for the upcoming holidays, still maintain whatever diet plan you are on by simply heading straight for the veggie platter.  Avoid heavy desserts and substitute water for cola and punch.

2. Utilize the same portion control used in the diet plan.  If attending a sit-down holiday fare, odds are there will be a tempting spread of fine foods and desserts. Although you may feel you deserve a treat of a creamy dessert, choose one that is the lesser of two evils.  More often than not, hosts will have plenty of food to enjoy that will not play havoc with a waistline.

3. Stick with salads and low fat dressing, put aside the stuffing and utilize a small plate.  While it will be difficult, you can enjoy holiday parties as well as anyone else.  After all, you have been dieting for quite some time and probably know how many calories each menu contains. 

Today, more holiday preparation is geared towards low fat meals and the preparation of these meals offers a wide variety of healthy alternatives than the more traditional heavier meals used to.

The holidays are a time for family and friends to get together and enjoy each other.  Utilizing portion control will help you enjoy the feast while also alleviating the pangs of guilty feelings afterwards.

You have made the commitment to exercise regularly and settle into a healthy lifestyle. It is not always easy to keep up with working out on a regular basis so providing yourself with an energy boost prior to your workout will make the workout go more smoothly, you will feel better, and therefore, are more likely to keep it going.

There are many perfect fuel foods for energy boosts and muscle repair, but women’s bodies are different than men’s. Here are just five of the best fitness fuel foods you should be eating before a workout.

Yogurt: Yogurt gives you an energy spike perfect for before a workout and it is easy to digest. It is pre-workout food at its best.

Cereal: Fuel up with whole grain cereal and fat free milk. It will give you more energy for a better and longer workout.

Oranges: One orange has all the vitamin C requirements for the day and they are portable, perfect for eating on the go. Being rich in vitamin C means they help repair muscle tissue after a workout.

Ground Flaxseed: Flaxseed is fiber packed and a daily dose of 1-2 tablespoons is all you need. Toss it into your cereal and you won’t even notice it is there, it cannot get any easier than that.

Bananas: Bananas are high in potassium, which you need to replace fluids lost from sweating. The carbohydrates in bananas also provide an energy boost to sustain a good workout.

Super charge your workouts with a little fitness fuel beforehand and you’ll find yourself having more energy for a longer and better workout. It will not take long to see the results in the mirror.

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Mom2Mom Magazine, http://www.mom2momlounge.com is an online magazine written by moms, for moms. Find mom-relevant issues, insights, product reviews, fun ideas, fashion and beauty, family travel, health, recipes, WAHM’spirations, humor and more.  Each issue is filled with realistic, quick and easy reads that matter to Moms.