Today I’m going to share with you information on how to cope when you are faced with a dinner banquet, holiday gathering, pot-luck, etc.. so that you can enjoy yourself at parties and gatherings without stressing about weight gain.

When you are faced with this type of situation there are several steps that you can take to ensure that you do not affect your training and nutrition plan.

1.  Use the party day as your “Cheat Meal”.  This is the first option which makes the most sense.  You are allowed a “Cheat Meal” once per week with my training program.  That way we get all of the cravings out of the way, enjoy a special treat, and can stay more focused on our meal-plan during the rest of the week.  When you do “partake” be sure to do so in moderation.  Since you have been eating clean the rest of the week, you may experience some discomfort when you do eat foods such as pizza, or excessive chocolate, etc.  Your “Cheat Day” is a good day to experiment with your will power. For instance, you can try to eat clean all day knowing that you are heading to the pizza parlor that evening and want to enjoy the entire experience – (bread sticks, pizza, etc.). But try to always have something healthy along with your cheat like a salad or some fresh veggies or fruit.

2.  Surprise Banquet – If you show up somewhere and there is an unexpected food spread there are steps you can take in this situation, as well.  Immediately, search for the color!  That’s right – look for the veggie tray or veggie side dish and fill your plate with greens!  This will help you fill up on the good stuff, and give the host or hostess the impression that you are enjoying all the festivities.  Try to stay away from casseroles, gravies, and desserts.  If your host/hostess is insistent, simply take a small sample of their famous pumpkin pie, etc., but leave off the whipped cream.  If it’s something like Mexican food, find the lesser of the evils – instead of having the enchilada loaded with cheese and sauce, have a couple of tacos with the meat, lettuce and salsa leaving off the cheeses.  The tacos will still fill you up, they are flavorful and have less calorie content than the cheesy enchiladas.

3.  Stay away from sweets.  The problem with sweets is that the sugar is stored onto your body because your body is unable to use the amounts of sugar that we, as Americans, consume on a daily basis.  Most sweets are also loaded with sodium which is why you can’t eat just one!! The sodium in a piece of chocolate is actually making you thirsty – but your taste buds are confused and usually you reach for another chocolate instead of drinking water.

4.  Deprivation Vs. Moderation – I, personally, don’t believe that depriving yourself of things you love is effective.  Once you have reached your goal-weight and decide that you are finally going to have that one thing that you’ve deprived yourself of, it is almost impossible to keep from over-indulging.  I recommend that we enjoy those things we love in moderation throughout our weight loss journey so that we learn how to control ourselves once our goal has been reached.  That is why I encourage the “Cheat Day”.  This is the day that you would go to your favorite restaurant, enjoy a pizza, chocolate shake, or whatever that item might be.

5.  Of course we all know this one, use a smaller plate.  This is a tremendous help because the host/hostess can see that your plate is full (of all the good things) and won’t make a comment that you aren’t eating enough, etc., plus psychologically it helps you to feel satisfied knowing that your plate was “full”.

6.  Have you heard that when you go to the grocery store hungry that you will inevitably buy more food?  This is also the case before a party.  If you go there hungry, you will most-certainly overeat.  So, I recommend that you eat before you go to the event.  If you are following your nutrition plan, you should be eating 5 small meals per day.  Just plan to eat one of your small meals prior to the event.  Then you won’t be tempted to eat as much because you aren’t hungry.

7.  Go easy on the alcoholic or party beverages.  Some beverages are loaded with sugar and calories.  It’s better to enjoy a glass of water with lemon if you plan on indulging in some of the rich calorie-laden foods.  Most of the special foods we love are loaded with sugars and sodium, so drinking lots of water and avoiding the special  beverages helps to keep your body in balance.  Also, if you decide to drink alcohol, be sure to limit your intake and drink water in between.  Alcohol tends to dehydrate the body.  Wine tends to have less calories than a margarita.  Also be aware of the items you add to your beverages.  Coke, margarita mixes, even different types of creamers added to coffee can pack on the pounds!!

8.  Go for a walk after the meal.  Invite others to go, too.  You might start a new family tradition (or office tradition) and actually help others get fit as well!

I hope all of these little tidbits will help you next time you are invited to a business gathering, family holiday dinner, or a surprise office party!

One of the first steps to a successful weight loss program is to change the way we think about food.

We must “TERMINATE” all of the bad habits and start looking at our food differently.   Food is Fuel.  If we could all start looking at food as fuel for our body’s instead of using it for comfort, stress, or a remedy to boredom.

Here are some steps you can take to change up your

nutrition plan today!!

**Food should be consumed 5-6 times per day.  WHAT?!!  This is absolutely correct.  If we all ate 5 small meals per day, our bodily systems would function properly.  We wouldn’t experience low blood sugar, moodiness, and eating 5-6 times per day actually increases your metabolism because it takes “work” to digest the foods you consume.

**Breakfast should NOT be skipped.  The first meal of the day is the most crucial.  Your body has been fasting the entire night and needs fuel. (Break Fast). If this meal is skipped frequently it can actually cause a gain in weight because your body thinks that it is starving and will go into “starvation mode” actually storing all your consumed calories instead of allowing them to be used for muscle building and fuel.

**Consume Whole and Natural Foods – Jack La Lanne has a saying – “if it’s made by man – don’t eat it! If it tastes good – spit it out,” Who better to listen to than a man who is in his nineties and still lifts weights and has an infomercial?!!  Whole and Natural foods are those which come from natural sources – not processed.  Eliminate white breads, white pastas, processed crackers, chips, etc. from your diet and switch to healthy snacks such as nuts, dried fruits, quality protein such as fish and poultry and lots of fresh vegetables and fruits.  Think about it…would you put water in the gas tank of your vehicle?  I would think not, because it is not the proper fuel for a gas engine – so it is with your body.

**Avoid fast food and convenience food.  Again, these foods are not healthy because they are not made using the best ingredients. Don’t supersize it and stay away from French fries and other deep fried foods. However, there are ways to eat out and I will be sharing those tips another day.

These few guidelines should help you get off to a healthy start with your

new fitness program.  If you are invited to holiday parties or have snack

trays, etc. at your work, the best thing to do would be to obviously avoid

the snack table but if you feel obligated to indulge, try to fill up on fresh

fruit, veggies, nuts, and salads and stay away from sweets and foods

covered with sauces and cheeses.

Until next time…

The first tip I want to offer you to survive the holidays is to drink LOTS of WATER.  Water is very important to a weight loss plan and is VITAL to keeping your body operating properly.

It is a principal component of your body – 60%!!  And every system in your body depends on it.  It flushes toxins from the body and transports vital nutrients to the cells.  If you are not properly hydrated you will begin to feel drained and tired which is NOT a good thing when you are beginning a new workout program.

To meet basic needs, everyone should consume at least eight 8 oz. glasses of water per day.  This is to cover basic needs such as water that is lost due to normal functions such as breathing, sweating and bowel movements.

Beyond that – if you are exercising, if you reside in a dry area, or in an excessively hot/humid area, or if it is wintertime and you are indoors a lot using heated air, or if you are taking medications that tend to dehydrate, or if you are pregnant or nursing, or if you have a medical condition you need to accommodate for those additional fluids that are lost or retained.

My recommendation for water intake is to consume 8-10 8 oz. glasses of water… A great way to achieve this is to keep a bottle or cup of water near you at all times.  You will find that as you get into the habit of having it nearby you will have no problem consuming the proper amounts of water and you will be surprised how often you take a sip!  I keep a 64 ounce “Thirstbuster” cup handy so that I know I’ve at least consumed the recommended amounts and will refill during my workout.

Holiday meals and treats tend to contain a lot of sodium and sugars.  To keep your body from retaining fluids, it is imperative that you drink water to flush out all of the excessive salts and sugars.  When you are at a holiday gathering, try to avoid drinking anything but water.  This will help you stay hydrated, keep your calorie consumption down, and help to avoid the bloating.

One more thing…we’ve all seen the ads for Gatorade, Powerade, etc. advertised as another way to replenish fluids during excessive exercise.  These beverages do help to replace the **electrolytes lost when you perspire, however, many of these beverages also contain excessive calories.  You need to be sure that you account for these calories when you are trying to lose weight or you will defeat the purpose of training.  These beverages wouldn’t be necessary for a weight loss/weight training workout unless you were working out in excess of 60 minutes.  They are extremely beneficial for someone who is doing an endurance-style event such as a triathlon or marathon.

Lastly, do not, DO NOT substitute energy drinks, soda or tea in place of water!  These types of drinks can actually dehydrate you so try to avoid them if possible.

An amazing thing will happen when you start consuming proper amounts of water, too!  Your skin and hair will feel better, your mouth won’t be so dry, your sinuses will remain moist as they should be and you will become more energetic so go get that cup of water, (or not), and drink up!!

**Electrolytes play a vital role in maintaining homeostasis within the body. They help to regulate myocardial and neurological function, fluid balance, oxygen delivery, acid-base balance and much more.  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water-electrolyte_imbalance)

Until Next Time…