After the Thanksgiving strategies video I posted on our Team page, I wanted to go through my Thanksgiving step by step and tell you what I did to make it successful while I am continuing with fat loss. As most of you know, I was preparing to compete at the end of 2016. I decided to put that on hold as Eric and I focused on his weight gain journey for Season 2 of Fit to Fat to Fit. Counting my macros was something I decided to put down for the time being to enjoy the relaxed meals with Eric. I am a firm believer that fitness should enhance your life, not take away from it. So barring a health issue, it is perfectly ok to hang out in maintenance until you are ready to plug away at fat loss. It is ok to intuitively eat and simply follow a few guidelines. Not only is it ok- I encourage this from time to time as you don’t want to forget how to simply enjoy your meals and RELAX with your diet. Counting macros helps make this possible in a way that you won’t be ALL IN or ALL OUT and can find that great balance between a cookie here and there and your whole, unprocessed foods.
I also stuck to my training program. I always, always train for enjoyment. The times I have found myself “punching the clock” to workout is when I try something new to freshen things up. I did 4-5 strength sessions per week (2 lower body and 2-3 full body) plus long walks for cardio. I also take our boot camp conditioning class on Sundays which helped to kick the weeks off right. (www.facebook.com/groups/LaytonLakesBootcamp/)
It was great to take the time to recharge my batteries, take a minute to rely on what I have learned from counting macros, and not focus so much on my macro targets. At the end of the time, I was the same weight and ready to jump back into fat loss.
That meant being much more mindful of my choices over Thanksgiving then I had in the past. I used to handle Thanksgiving with a “get out the stretchy pants” and “no dessert left behind” attitude. All that did was leave me miserable, stuffed with way too much food and- honestly- even more guilt. That is NOT the way I wanted to spend the holiday.
The morning of Thanksgiving I still had a decent breakfast because we were going to have boot camp. I love protein bars and had my current go- to- Fit Crunch in Cookie Dough after being in the refrigerator overnight- and we had a blast kicking the day off in the park.
For after boot camp, I had an egg white and spinach omelet and coffee with Walden’s Farms creamer.
As I prepared dinner (which equated reheating the fully cooked turkey from Whole Foods :)), I had some Kettle Corn popcorn (measured out the 28 grams) and 3 oz of red wine while I watched football with the guys.
For dinner, I had 4 oz turkey, a ton of green beans with garlic salt (my favorite!!), sweet potatoes with Walden’s Farm zero calorie maple syrup, and a crispy cookie from Whole Foods. I decided I wasn’t going to eat anything I didn’t truly enjoy and that included pie. I would much rather have a crispy chocolate chip cookie. Make sure you enjoy the treats you are eating and not just eating them to eat them like I used to do.
We went to see Moana after dinner. (A total must- see if you ask me!) I brought a Quest cereal bar in chocolate and an Ostrim jerky stick with a Coke Zero. Bringing a few snacks to kill those cravings for sweet and salty goes a long way. One bag of popcorn, even if it is a size small, is 450 calories and just wasn’t in the cards after my wine, kettle corn, favorite protein bar, and cookie (does this sound like I suffered?). This is all a game of choices- and I picked all my favorites.
I ended the night with some fat-free Nestle hot chocolate topped with light peppermint whipped topping. I was not deprived, I was not stuffed to the point of feeling sick and I truly enjoyed the entire day.
I believe having some artificial items including sweeteners is ok in moderation. I like to use these to stave off cravings.
It is important for me to lead by example and not just give advice. If you ask me- actions speak louder than words. I tallied up my macros since I am in fat loss and no I didn’t hit them, but I didn’t go over my calorie total. I ended the day with 120 grams protein, 145 grams carbs and 47 grams fat. My fiber was low and I had more processed items than usual (including alcohol) but that’s ok- because it’s important to enjoy myself and learn how to do so without overindulging or having feelings of guilt associated with eating.
I am getting leaner over the holidays practicing these methods and having a relaxed mindset. It is possible to continue toward your goal with flexibility.
Bored with your meal prep? We are about to change the game as well as go over ways to prep in the most time efficient manner possible! www.northingtonfitnessandnutrition.com/macro-chef-seminar/
Need help getting to your goals? Want a flexible approach and to end the yo-yo dieting cycle for good? www.northingtonfitnessandnutrition.com/online-coaching/