We kick off summer with Memorial Day Weekend, which usually involves “fun” in the sun and includes food and beverages that are not supporting your Bride Fit Body goals!
The great news is with a little planning & preparing you can absolutely stay on track with your goals and enjoy all the festivities at the same time. Here’s how:
- Knowing the weekend ahead will involve some unplanned eating and drinking, spend the beginning of the week with super “clean” eating, extra fat burning workouts and extra sleep. Personally I’ve been replacing 1-2 meals per day with my favorite nutrient dense shakes and staying clear of extra calories that aren’t offering any nutrients like alcohol, tortilla chips (even organic), rice, gluten-free pasta or bread products.
- If you have a party to go to plan to bring food that you feel good about eating. Prepare a vegetable platter with celery, peppers, grape tomatoes, carrots and cucumbers. Instead of the typical ranch dip, pair it with hummus. Check the ingredients when buying hummus; avoid one’s that contain canola oil. There are good choices that only contain chickpeas, lemon, tahini, garlic and maybe olive oil. If you are feeling extra ambitious and you have a food processor, you can make your own! It’s actually easy! The other benefit to bringing healthy choices is you are in control of the quality of the food. I know it’s a little more to purchase organic produce, but by making it yourself you will save money. I believe that the quality matters and your health is worth the extra dollars. You’re not always in control if you are at a party or at a restaurant, just do the best you can!
- Be aware of what you are eating and drinking. Sounds obvious but unconscious grazing is very common and one of the biggest culprits in sabotaging your efforts for a Bride Fit Body. Don’t go to a party starving! You’ll end up eating the chips, pretzels and crackers! Make deliberate decisions, chew your food (20-30 chews), stay clear of drinks with sugary mixes (too much sugar and hello hangover), and drink water between alcoholic drinks (make that a rule). All these strategies will slow you down, which will result in enjoying what you eat and drink in addition to making better decisions.
Above all savor the time with friends and family! Healthy connection and relationships is number one on the list for amazing health & happiness. I hope this give you some idea’s and inspiration.
Let me know what healthy platters or dishes you suggest to bring to barbecues and parties in the comments below. Join my 12 WEEKS TO A FIT BRIDE today and learn all the secrets to getting Bride Fit. Wishing you an amazing weekend and start to summer! Health & Happiness always!