It’s that time of year again that we all absolutely LOVE but maybe get a little anxious for because we know all of our favorite foods will be at our fingertips in the office, at parties and around the family table for the holidays. It sounds daunting, but really, there is no need to fret! I am a firm believer that food should be enjoyed and not stressed over. REALLY! We all have way too many things in life to stress over, and food should definitely NOT be one of them. I’m sure you are wondering how it’s possible to not stress and not sabotage your health and fitness goals all while enjoying more than a dry piece of turkey and corn kernels on your plate for the holidays- ha! Well, I have really good news for you – it’s 100% possible to enjoy some or all of your favorite foods this holiday season while keeping your goals in check.
Sounds too good to be true, right?! Or maybe like an ad for a diet pill, haha! Nope, neither one- not a pill to curb your appetite, or “speed up your metabolism” or God-forbid doing hours of cardio the days leading up to the holiday… it is a simple trick that I use with my clients and myself. They, nor I, hardly notice the change; however, you bet we notice the extra food and beverage enjoyment that comes with this trick! Are you ready to hear what it is?… Drumroll please….
The trick is a small daily calorie decrease leading up to the feast. That’s it! The way it works is by decreasing 50-75 calories daily for the 7 days leading up to the special feast day. Then, on that special day, you reap the rewards of the calories you “saved”! Mind blowing, right?! Nah, just a little bit of mental trickery and simple math, really. Here’s the breakdown: 50 less calories for 7 days = an extra 300 calories to spend (50 x 7 =300). It does add up to a pretty significant amount! Just think- it’s a decent slice of pumpkin pie (1/8th of the pie), or TWO 6 oz glasses of wine, or a 1/2 cup serving of that marshmallow goodness called sweet potato casserole, or your mama’s homemade creamy mashed potatoes…my stomach is rumbling just thinking of it all! Choose one, or if you’re like me, you can serve yourself a golf ball size portion of several things. Totally up to you!
If you feel like you can sustain a larger deficit the week leading up to that special day, then go for it. Just be sure to choose an amount that you can realistically adhere to for the week. I recommend trying not to exceed a daily decrease of 75 calories for a person consuming 1400 calories or less. If you have more daily calories to work with you can probably manage a bigger deficit, probably around 100-125 calories. Completely up to you- just be real with yourself!
The best part about this trick, is that it is flexible! If the week leading up to the holiday gets away with you, and maybe you remember only 3 days instead of 7 days before to decrease your calories, but you still want to have a little extra for the feast, you still can -not a problem! (Remember, I told you not to stress about food? ;)) The only thing that will change is that you will decrease your calories for the 3 days leading up to the holiday and then 4 days after the holiday, also. It yields the exact same results! One thing I would caution you about doing it this way, is that it is a bit harder to adhere to and be disciplined about AFTER the holiday. Simply because you already reaped the “saved” benefit. Don’t let that hold you back though. Remember, you can do anything you set your mind to!
Lastly, if you are not a calorie counter, this trick can still work for you, too. Instead of focusing on numbers, just cut a starch/carb portion in half that you normally eat for a meal or snack during the day for 7 days. Examples: 1/2 the amount of rice or pasta you normally eat with dinner, half the amount of pretzels/chips, or dessert, or skip the glass of wine a couple nights of the week leading up to the holiday… and there ya go, 300 extra calories you saved up to enjoy on Turkey day or any extra special day!
See, there isn’t any magic here, folks… just little tricks and tweaks! You might feel a tad hungry decreasing your calories, but shouldn’t feel much. This method is not drastic and very realistic, which is why it works! Try it and let me know what you think. Cheers to warm and cozy holidays filled with all of your favorite foods! XO