TONI’S Top 5 Hacks to Stay Trim

We’ve all done it. We swear we won’t again. We remember how miserable we were after the last bout of overindulging at a holiday party. Even if we are being moderate, the calories add up with all the social festivities. Studies show that when we are around people, we tend to eat more, than if by ourselves.

• We eat 35% more when we eat with another person
• 75% more with three other people
• 96% more with a group of seven or more!

You have to ask yourself, and this is serious; would you rather be thin, or would you rather be lonely? I think there’s some middle ground! Here are my top five hacks to stay trim this month:

4. Limit alcohol | Create some guidelines when attending events. Perhaps you’ll sip sparkling water up until dinner is served, then have a glass of wine with dinner. Or switch from white wine to red wine, which has less sugar. Have a spritzer, part wine and part Zevia (natural sparkling soda sweetened with Stevia)
5. Don’t feel obligated to eat dessert | Maybe have just one or two bites so you won’t feel deprived. More isn’t necessarily better. If you find you’re left with pies, cakes or cookies that you’d rather not eat, bring them to work to share, or simply toss them.
6. Step up your fitness |  My heart drops when I overhear people at the gym say they’re burning off their over-indulgences from the night before. If you’ve ever watched the “calories burned” mode on the elliptical slowly and painfully tick by, you know what I’m referring to. However, if you incorporate a sustainable activity every day, like hiking for three miles, you’ll burn about 2,100 calories a week which adds up. Think SUSTAINABLE lifestyle choices and you’ll be less likely to want to undo all your hard work.
7. Get enough sleep | If you’re sleep deprived you’ll become stressed more easily and emotional eating can come into play. Your body also will crave simple carbohydrates for energy to compensate for the lack of sleep. Your blood sugar will then drop a few hours later, creating a disruptive cycle. Instead, practice getting to bed at the same time every night and waking around the same time every morning. Before bed, practice my deep breathing exercise by inhaling to a count of 8, holding 4 seconds, and exhaling to a count of 8. Repeat four times. I hope you’ll find it as relaxing as I do.
8. Stress-less | I know this is harder than it sounds. Stress is a frame of mind. It puts us in a reactive state where we don’t feel like we have time to think, to breathe, to reflect. It’s easier to get into the nits and find reasons to disagree with people, or to judge their actions, feeling angry or critical. All of these negative emotions set us up to over-consume as a way of self-medicating. We can’t control other’s actions, but we can control how we respond. Breathe. Meditate. Be in nature. Relax. Laugh. Sing. You’ll be healthier for it.

CHECK OUT my next story where I’ll share my special, lower calorie mulled red wine recipe.

Please share this with your friends who would like to keep a few tips in mind so they don’t overindulge during the holidays!

From my heart to yours,