Thanksgiving is right around the corner which means it's the beginning of the holiday season. And for some it marks the end of their healthy eating habits for the next two or three months. But have no fear, Nicole is here to help you conquer Thanksgiving this year. She gave me a few tips and tricks to ensure your healthy habits aren’t ruined for the next three months.
Nicole, a nutritionist from Boston, MA. is here to help you get through the first of many holiday parties. She loves to encourage, motivate, and support people through their fitness journeys. As we all know, exercise isn't the only factor when it comes to losing weight. There needs to be a balance of both fitness and nutrition. With that, she gave me a few mindful tips to keep in mind during the holiday season.
Bring Your Own Dish
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Many Thanksgiving dishes are not so health-friendly. If you have a favorite dish, offer to bring it to dinner. Most hosts love when everyone pitches in. Make some substitutions to make it healthier. Try swapping regular mashed potatoes for mashed sweet potatoes. Or try a mashed cauliflower dish and still keep the great taste of your favorite side dish.
Eat Something Before You Go
Start your morning with a filling breakfast. Be sure to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and avoid all that bloating after the meal. Have a big salad or a healthy smoothie before getting ready to leave. Starving yourself up until dinner will only hurt you. Appetizers are out first and you’ll be devouring them if you arrive hungry.
Keep Yourself Busy
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Help the hostess or talk to your friends and relatives. By giving an extra hand, you’re keeping yourself away from the appetizers. You’ll be so busy getting dinner ready or setting the table that you won’t have time to over eat or drink. Make sure if you’re catching up with friends and family that you do it away from the appetizer table. You won't be overeating if you're too busy chatting with the crowd.
Workout Before Dinner
Try to do some form of exercise the morning of Thanksgiving, whether it be taking your dog for a walk or hitting the gym for an hour. Nicole's dog Roger makes sure she gets her exercise in even when they have a busy day. By working out before dinner, you’ll feel better at the end of the day and you won’t feel so terrible about yourself when you’ve finished eating. It is Thanksgiving and you should be able to indulge a bit but you can do so mindfully.
Drink Red Wine
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Try to stay away from the over sweetened holiday drinks. As yummy as they are, they’re calories that you don’t need to take in. Stick to red wine or low calorie drinks. Another trick to keeping your alcohol intake low is to alternate drinks with a glass of water in between. This will not only keep you from drinking too much but you’ll wake up feeling much better the next day. Take Nicole’s word for this one, she says you’ll still get buzzed by drinking this way.
Start with the Veggies
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When approaching the dinner table, start by filling your plate up with the vegetable options first. This will leave less room for the starchy side dishes. You can still enjoy your favorite mashed potatoes or homemade stuffing, just in smaller portions. Try to have a large portion of protein and vegetables to fill you up and keep yourself feeling good. And sorry, but Nicole says that green bean casserole does not count as a vegetable you should fill up on.
Treat Yourself to Dessert (In Moderation)
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Last but not least, treat yourself to your favorite dessert in moderation. You worked out today so you deserve one slice of your grandma's famous pecan pie. And if you're still feeling bloated after dinner, try one of these tips.
You can follow Nicole's #fitlife on Instagram or if you're ever in Boston, hit up her BFX class and see if you can keep up!