Lean for the Holidays
Dec 04, 2023
Hello Dear One!
OK! By a personal request I thought to share this far and wide.
IF you are not ONLY dealing with all the additional Holiday Mumbo Jumbo but ALSO TRAVELING whether it be for WORK or PLEASURE - let's DO THESE THINGS!
Let's break down our obstacles and spell out possible better options.
1. SLEEP
This can often be compromised when traveling, in a different time zone, or simply doing A LOT based on the demands of your day.
Truth be told when our sleep is lacking our hormones are screwy (Cortisol and Ghrelin primarily).
When these hormones are elevated we want to EAT MORE, eat more CARBS, and have a harder time getting satisfied in general.
Tactics to take?
A) DELIBERATE MEALS
Aim to stick to deliberate meals vs mindless snacking on (more than likely) snack food.
B) HIGH FIBER CARBS
KNOW that sweet or starchy carbs will more than likely be CALLED FOR by your body so instead of trying to Ignore that make a point to give yourself better options intentionally in your meal.
Have potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, brussel sprouts, cabbage, butternut squash, pumpkin, oats, high fiber bread, and even rice.
Best to have these options vs caving in either at the end of (or AFTER) your meal and downing cake or cookies when that need could have been WAY more happily managed earlier with something far more supportive.
C) NAPS
If you can - take a little siesta.
Even closing your eyes for a spell is restorative.
So whether it's on your layover or between arrival at your in-laws and when everyone else is coming over to visit - SLEEP as much as possible.
Going to bed early even ONE night can help you catch up OR not get run down while you're away.
And lastly, if you're worried about a nap messing up your sleep that night - then simply make the decision to go to bed early that night.
WAY over estimate how long you might need to do _____ and get yourself into bed at a ridiculous hour to maximize how much time you can be in slumber.
2. FOOD
Like our last blogpost that spoke about picking your battles, do so here, AND also take the opportunity to be prepared.
A) Airport/Terminal
Know you're going to be stuck on a plane or in an airport for AGES?
Find food that will be satisfying and supportive (grilled chicken on a salad, tuna salad, any substantial serving of protein with salad/vegetables, greek yogurt, egg bites, string cheese, hard boiled eggs, whole milk...*)
(*I may be missing some of the obvious offerings but I confess that I hardly ever have to scrounge in such situations because I'M A FAT BURNER! And as a Fat Burner you're generally NOT HUNGRY, and when you ARE you feel IN CONTROL and more able to make it to the next suitable spot. And this is why you should consider becoming one too! End rant.)
Reasonable to pair more carbohydrates with these offerings to feel fully satisfied, but START with the protein piece of your meal.
B) House Guest
In this situation TALK to your host!
Figure out what they're offering and what you might need in addition to that.
It's so common for MANY people to have different dietary needs nowadays - so make your preferences be known.
MANY people simply make carbs the cornerstone of every meal, and that is often a recipe for easy weight gain.
And if that's the environment that you'll be in - simply acknowledge the fact that YOU FEEL BETTER when there's a bit more protein in the meal.
Period.
Great.
You can still have what everyone else is having, just have an extra side of your meat of the moment.
I do this with my family.
It's honestly sometimes momentarily awkward and then it's fine.
And I get what I need.
And they didn't have to do anything differently.
So go shopping.
Plan some meals.
Go out to dinner at a place that you love that will give you what you need.
And the truth is it is/isn't a big deal to stick to such a thing.
But the BAD NEWS is when we do NOT have enough protein in our meal, we'll often get FULL and then feel HUNGRY later in the day/eve.
Most people just eat a snack.
Let that not be you.
Have more (protein) at your meal time and be DONE for the eve.
Your waistline will thank you.
3. TIME
Ok, so what happens if you're wishing to keep up with the habit of working out?
A newer thing I've been doing when I have a day that starts early and goes solidly through into the afternoon (where I am NOT motivated to do anything extensive after) is to BREAK UP MY WORKOUTS.
You can also vastly play with the intensity of what you're doing in these sessions as well.
Because they'll be a half hour max - you could do something a bit more intense in both and not run the risk of spiking cortisol or needing LOADS of motivation to make it happen.
You could do something that's a little more challenging in the morning, take a shower, start your day, and then have your second session be lower key and slower.
OR you could make BOTH session LIGHT and comfortable (walking is always great here).
There are SO many benefits hormonally when we do exercise consistently (for our waistline, health, and mood) so figure out how to make that happen.
OH! Yeah! And you could also do this around lunch time.
EVEN if you have lunch meetings - see how you can take a little time for yourself to move and care for your own wellbeing (for real).
4. STRESS
Whether it's because your day is back to back or you're visiting a hornet's nest for the Holidays, YOU feeling GOOD MATTERS.
Stress is devastating and we can't exist in it for long.
So the key with stress is not to never feel it, but to disengage from it.
Here are 4 GREAT ways to calm your nervous system that will help you to feel lighter as well as not need to reach for FOOD/DRINK when being wound up or shut down.
5. AGENDAS
What I'm referring to is other people's agendas, and not staying focused on our own.
What's easy to forget when we're representing our company and we have an itinerary made out for us, or in a loved one's home who has expectations for your time together is that...
it's still YOUR LIFE.
Focusing on the fact that you have obligations and expectations of you should never cancel out the fact that how YOU FEEL actually matters most of all.
And the truth is this matters just as much in business (joy = productivity, creativity, better problem solving, teamwork+++), as well as with your family and friends (joy = presence, empathy, generosity, patience, LOVE!).
So when YOU'RE happy you're ENTIRE world functions BETTER.
Your joy is not frivolous it's actually the most important thing ever.
And when we prioritize such a thing we create a full well and therefore have SO much more to give from.
Put that oxygen mask on first, and keep it there!
Hope that was useful!
And if you'd like to NOT use ANY of these tips and STILL be successful while away for business or play (really really) - get yourself into a FAT BURNING MODE! :D
Join Fat Burning PRO!
Lose 8-15 pounds in 4 weeks and no longer feel FRUSTRATED about weight loss while experiencing FREEDOM in life.
Hope your Holiday Season is off to a great start!
All my love to you!
To getting clearer on how the body works in order to make it work for you.
xo, M
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