No Guilt

Ladies and gentlemen the holidays are on the way . Thanksgiving is this week and most of us will be at a family gathering or party once a week until January. For me, Thanksgiving usually includes Spanish food from my mom's side and green stuff with turkey on my dad's side.

Most of all, Thanksgiving means Detroit Lions football! Both the turkey and the Lions will almost certainly put me to sleep and I'll end up being woken up by one of my grandmothers collies licking my ear. And the thought of waking up with the aftertaste of stuffing still between my teeth while the dog wonders why I'm on the floor with him feels like Thanksgiving.

Don't feel guilty if you splurge occasionally on these holidays. But just because you splurge a little doesn't necessarily entitle you to go overboard! On any given day you can consume up to 6,000 calories just from the high calories snacks, finger foods and drinks compiled with dinner.

Even the strictest of paleo'ers would dabble in some "green stuff," but there are healthy ways that won't ensure an extra 15lbs to come with it. There are ways to stay on top of your game, but it's inevitable as families and friends get together that we're all likely to splurge. Follow these few guidelines and you won't completely blow the healthy gains you've worked so hard for.

Number 1: NO GUILT! Diets ruin people for one underlying reason...deprivation. If you dabble in some childhood favorites it's ok! Simply eat a normal meal 3-4 hrs later. One of the biggest myths out there is that you can somehow make up for splurging. Skipping meals just deprives your body of nutrients and slows your metabolism down to a crawl. One day of surplus calories won't kill you as long as you return to your normal diet ASAP. So stick with your 4-5 meals a day even during the holidays. 

Number 2: EAT HIGH PROTEIN Protein is a metabolism booster and luckily turkey is in season.You also get fuller faster eating high protein meals! Try to avoid hams due to the fact it usually compacted with saturated fat, high sodium and sometimes lots of sugar. Also, you don't need to smother your foods in gravy. Just enough for flavor will suffice.

Number 3: NO GUILT! Again, it will ruin you. For a fit lifestyle make your choices wisely and budget where you spend your calories. Leave the red faced kid in your childhood and make smart decisions.

Remember:
RED FACED KIDS SAY: I want! I want! I want!

Make smart choices but be comfortable with making rational decisions.