Tips for Staying on Track this Memorial Day Weekend
With Memorial Day coming up, it’s important to create a plan of action in advance. We’re rounding up some of our best tips for having fun and staying on track this weekend!
Here are our Weekend Party Musts!
Reach for veggies first – I bet you’ll have plenty of splurge options to choose from, but loading up on veggies first can help you fill up, so you can be more aware about what you select next. Great options include water-rich finger foods like grape tomatoes, sliced bell peppers, radishes, broccoli and cauliflower florets, and slices of zucchini and cucumber.
Keep your protein lean– Hot dogs, fatty burgers, and sausages may be traditional Memorial Day fare, but this year, think clean and light. Choose grilled chicken or turkey breast, shrimp or salmon, or go meatless and grill up some “meaty” Portobello mushrooms.
Chose your starch wisely- Barbeque spreads typically include an abundance of starch-heavy foods, from buns and potato salad to chips, corn on the cob, and sweet treats. Lots of carb-y choices means it’s easy to eat more carbs than your body can burn, resulting in a surplus that feeds your fat cells. To squash carb overkill, choose one starchy favorite and forgo the other can-live-without-it options. For example, if you’re most looking forward to macaroni salad but you also want a burger, ditch the bun and wrap your patty in crisp lettuce instead.
Post-weekend Essentials
Up your water intake- One of the reasons you feel so heavy after eating a little more than usual is because your body hangs onto extra sodium and fluid. While it may seem counterintuitive, drinking more H2O helps to flush out the excess, so you can de-bloat faster. Aim for 2-2.5 liters a day, and add in an ingredient or two that helps soothe the GI tract, such as fresh grated ginger or cucumbers. If you feel like your normal self, you’re much more likely to stick to your usual working-out-and-eating-well routine.
Get back into balance- When your jeans are a little tight it can be tempting to do something extreme, like skip meals or drink only green juice. But cutting back too much can work against you. In fact, I’ve seen this pattern keep people stuck in an overweight plateau. A better way to rebound is to simply get back to clean eating, and focus on balancing your meals. Make veggies the star of your plate, along with lean protein, a healthy fat source such as avocado and nuts, and a small portion of a high-fiber, nutrient-rich starch, like quinoa or wild rice.
Emily Vanderwalde
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