The holidays are here and ‘tis the season to eat, drink and be merry. For most people, it just wouldn’t be the same without beverages, mingling and goodies but for those with an agenda to lose weight, adding these things into the equation doesn’t exactly make things easy. I recommend a goal to maintain through the holidays instead of trying to lose if you want to be able to enjoy yourself and partake in some of the seasonal fun. You only live once after all! The big thing about balance is making smart choices and enjoying what you do indulge in. There is always what I call a “better” bad choice in every situation. When you’re trying to keep calories to a minimum, the BC Liquor Store by Pine Center Mall has a ton of variety. Opt for wine, light beer or some hard alcohol to pair with soda water. You can add a splash of cranberry, lemon or lime juice if you need some extra flavour. If you’re into the more fruity mixed drinks you can pick up some 100 calories bottles of Smirnoff Ice or some Skinnygirl margarita mix. These have a little less sugar so they won’t do as much damage to your waistline. The good thing about the liquor store on Massey is that Pine Centre Mall is right there so after you browse through their 100+ stores and get some of your Christmas shopping out of the way, you can just walk
across the parking lot and pick your choice of beverage. Chances are, you have more than one gathering to attend over the holidays, so make a plan ahead of time to which ones you would like to drink at and which ones you can stand to take a pass.
As far as food goes, you should always show up with a healthy appy. Costco on Range Road has an awesome selection if you don’t have a lot of time to prepare something. Grab a salad, veggie tray, fruit tray, shrimp ring, steamed edamame, or a meat and cheese tray so that if all else fails, you can nibble on what you brought. It’s also always nice to show up with a hostess gift and they have the most beautiful seasonal bouquets and elaborate gift baskets at a completely affordable price.
Exercise will be a must during the holidays if you don’t want to skip the parties. If you log your food and make an effort to be as active as possible, you should be able to keep the lbs off. You can download an app on your phone for help or go down to Sport Chek and grab yourself one of the all famous Fitbits. This way you can stay conscious of just how active or lazy your day has been by tracking your steps, calorie burn and physical activity. Maybe you want to pick up some new gym clothes or runners while you’re there to motivate you in getting your butt to the gym. If you’re into sports, they have everything from hockey gear and tennis rackets to skipping ropes and roller blades. Whatever will get you inspired to sweat, grab it and put it somewhere within eye sight that can’t be ignored as a reminder to stay healthy.
You can still have fun without throwing away your healthy habits and it is possible to celebrate the holidays without adding an additional 15 lbs.
