The Fit Skool » mental toughness

Tips for Beating the Holiday Bulge

Kelly @ The Fit Skool — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 14:40:58 +0000

2 Days until the biggest eating holiday of the year! Do you already have your thanksgiving plates set in your mind? I know some of you have been busting your butts in the gym, but seriously you don’t have to STUFF your faces to enjoy the holiday.

Don’t get me wrong, I will indulge but I won’t be the one unbuttoning my pants or laying on the couch for 2 hours because I over ate.

I choose wisely. I love Turkey and gravy… and in case you don’t know me by now I am a POTATO lover. So those items along with all the veggies will all be piled on my plate.

Don’t hate me when I tell you I don’t like PIE. People think I’m crazy but Thanksgiving desserts are not my thing. For as long as I can remember I never ate dessert on Thanksgiving. If someone made Chocolate chip cookies, I would eat one but usually there’s only pies:)

So on a healthy note, Last night I tried out a new veggie combo that would make a great side dish for Thanksgiving. Roasted butternut squash topped with Gorgonzola Cheese.

I took 1 pound of chopped butternut squash and drizzled it with oil & salt. Roasted in the oven for 30 minutes at 400 degrees and then topped it with 2 tbsp of gorgonzola cheese right after they came out of the oven. It was yummy!

Here are some Tips for Beating the Holiday Bulge:

1. Drink lots of water. It is important to stay hydrated but drinking water also helps to keep you full.

2. Eat Breakfast. I’m never one to skip breakfast, but make sure to eat a normal healthy breakfast on the big day.

3. Exercise. Stay active. Even a 30 minute walk will burn some calories.

4. Don’t skip any meals. Skipping meals is only going to cause you to over eat later in the day. Eat like you normally would and it will help you to keep your holiday meal well balanced.

5. Load up on the healthy sides. I like to load 1/2 my plate with veggies. (some veggies are healthier then others so make sure to take the ones that aren’t loaded with butter & cream)

6. Skip the sweets or limit yourself to 2 bites of your favorite dessert. I usually never have room for dessert, but sometimes just having a small cookie or a couple bites of pie will do the trick!

7. Keep your portions in check. Just because it’s a Holiday doesn’t mean you need to eat like you are never going to have another meal again. Eat as you normally would! 1 serving of protein is about the size of the palm of your hand

1 fat serving is about the size of your thumb, and veggies should be unlimited unless they are coated in fats!!

What is your favorite part about Thanksgiving?

Do you tend to over eat?

Will you exercise on Thanksgiving?

My Paleo overview after the 2 week challenge

Kelly @ The Fit Skool — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 12:42:06 +0000

After 2 weeks of super clean eating with my Paleo Food Challenge, I felt great. The first 3 to 4 days were tough. I was having trouble getting full because my meals weren’t organized properly. It wasn’t until I started adding in more veggies to my snacks and using a little more oil that I was more satisfied.

Once I got to the 1 week mark, I wasn’t thinking about what I was eating next or what I should grab out of the fridge, it became routine. I found what worked for me and went with it!!

My breakfast typically looked like this… or some variation of this!

I don’t necessarily agree with people that say white potatoes are bad. They are still a whole food, they have lots of potassium (they helped to keep me full!)

I didn’t eat them every day, but the days I just had eggs and veggies I was hungry earlier.

For snacks throughout the day and night, I stuck with fruits, veggies, salads, nuts, almond butter, muffins, plantain chips, smoothies, avocado, and roasted plantains. I did have coconut milk ice cream one night.. it was okayy.

Lunches were the easiest for me.. they always consisted of leftovers from dinner the night before. I love no-brainers.

Come dinner time I was always at a loss of what to eat, there were some days I didn’t want a single veggie!! Those nights ended up being take out like Thai Food, Salads, or from a prepared food place!

I made these zoodles and they are amazing, I will share the recipe with you soon.

I did have some cheat snacks... snacks that I wouldn’t even call a CHEAT. They are healthy to me and foods that help me enjoy life. I have low blood pressure so I craved salt during Paleo and I really wanted these things.

Here are a few!

PEANUT BUTTER seriously come on. It was 2 ingredients Peanuts & Salt.

Popcorn (homemade with popcorn kernels & coconut oil)

Brown Rice (I had a small serving) it just goes with spicy Thai food

Overall, Paleo made me feel better, I was less bloated, I felt good, and I loved that I was making smart choices. My workouts were full of great energy and I felt strong.

It did make me realize that I am a healthy eater and there are other foods I enjoy that are HEALTHY. The first thing I had that wasn’t paleo was a yogurt parfait… it tasted like heaven! I seriously thought I could eat them all day. HAHAH

I decided to keep with Paleo 80/20. I am still going to enjoy the foods that I think are healthy that are not on the Paleo meal plan but I like how I feel right now!

Have you ever followed a meal plan or diet and stuck with it for a lifestyle change??

What kind of foods in your diet are healthy and what are some things you should probably eliminate??