Start your 6-month nutrition program today!
So you’re planning your Independence Day festivities, but you’re worried that a day of hot dogs, chips, sweets and beer is going to throw off all the progress you’ve made this year.
Lots of people see holidays like July 4th as minefields, days that you have to very delicately navigate so the new positive habits you’ve been working on don’t just fall apart.
First off, stop worrying so much. That’s not how habits work.
The progress you’ve made, the routines and habits you’ve developed, those will all still be there on July 5th.
I completely understand the anxiety though - I go through the same thing. And it can prevent you from really enjoying yourself.
Give yourself some grace and be forgiving if you eat or drink more than you feel is “healthy”, whatever that means for you.
Look, you know if you eat too much cheese or ice cream, or stuff yourself with chips or your friend’s 5-layer dip, you’re going to feel like crap the next day, right?
Acknowledge it, accept it, get back on track tomorrow.
All that said, let’s not use Independence Day as an excuse to go completely off the rails.
Hopefully, you’re not struggling to maintain your new habits and 4th of July just opens the floodgates.
Healthy new habits should be small enough changes that you don’t have to white-knuckle through them, and they should make you feel good and not deprived.
So when you get to a 4th of July or a Thanksgiving or a birthday party, you don’t feel stressed and overwhelmed and end up eating an entire plate of wings.
With that in mind, you should be able to find ways to stick to your habits while letting yourself enjoy the festivities without guilt.
Tips for enjoying July 4th guilt free
Are you a moderator, or an abstainer?
Some of us, when presented with a bowl of tortilla chips and a gorgeous 5-layer dip, can enjoy a couple bites and move on. The rest of us will stand next to that bowl of chips all day and not even realize we have demolished the entire 5-layer dip in record time.
Knowing if you can enjoy a little of something and move on, or which foods or drinks you need to completely stay away from is great to know ahead of time.
Can you enjoy a single cookie, or will you unhinge your jaw and swallow the whole sleeve? Can you sip on a single cocktail or do you find yourself thirstily going back for more and more?
Try to stay away from the things you can’t moderate, and stick to the food and drinks that you can.
Remember your training
It’s easy to throw all of the hard work you’ve been doing out the window when you see the potluck table full of indulgent snacks and sweets.
But more often than not, there will be some foods and drinks that don’t totally throw you off track, so try to fill your plate with those.
Most parties have plenty of hamburgers, turkey burgers, sausages and hot dogs. Great! Go high-protein and make a plate of a couple of patties on a lettuce wrap.
No potluck is complete without the mixed veggie platter. Grab some fresh carrots and broccoli florets instead of a pile of chips.
If you’re wondering “will there be anything I can eat there?” (which I’ve wondered myself) take the initiative and bring something you want to eat or drink. Grilled sausages, roasted veggies, even baked corn on the cob. As long as the host is ok with it, bring it!
You can even bring some stealth snacks like meat sticks to snack on instead of doritos.
Eat before hand
If you are truly concerned that there won’t be anything you want to eat at the party and you’re concerned you’ll go nuts on the bean dip, try eating a filling, high-protein meal before you leave the house.
A burger patty with baked sweet potato, a burrito bowl with rice, ground beef, veggies, lettuce and beans (if you tolerate them well) are all options for a quick “pre game” before you get to the party.
Or just warm up the leftovers you have in the fridge! Heading to the party with a full stomach will totally help you avoid overindulging later.
Give yourself permission
Finally, give yourself permission to eat and drink (a little!) more than you would on a typical day. It is a celebration after all!
Love potato salad but it doesn’t love you back? It’s ok, enjoy it.
Honestly, stressing out about every little bite you put in your mouth is going to cause more problems than eating a few too many chicken wings.
You will not lose your progress, you are not backsliding. Unless this one day sends you into a full on junk food binge, you can pick up where you left off tomorrow.
The great part about making these new habits is that you start to realize you don’t really enjoy a lot of the foods that make you feel like crap, and seek out the foods that make you feel good.
It also helps you to avoid the junky foods you don’t want to eat and enjoy the occasional indulgence with foods that are really worth it.
Y’all, I’m here to help you create these positive habits around food, and navigate tricky days like 4th of July.
Our long-term health really boils down to the habits we follow, and I want to help you create the most positive, healthy habits possible.
That is what my 6-month coaching program is all about. Giving you the tools, accountability and support to build positive habits and conquer poor energy, crappy mood swings, food cravings and avoid chronic disease.
Ready? Let’s go!
Yorumlar