With the holidays in full swing it is easy to be tempted by all the holiday treats and overindulge. I also find in the winter when we wear bigger clothing, sweaters and such we lose awareness of how are clothes are fitting. Even though we are not attending get-togethers or holiday parties, it is still easy to be tempted to give into the specialty holiday flavored products you see at the grocery store, pumpkin this and peppermint that. Hot chocolate topped with marshmallows, specialty coffees drizzled with caramel. Believe me I love all those things too, they call my name.
If you are like me and you love to bake during the holidays, this season can be a little difficult to stick to eating Keto when you want to bake all the goodies and try all the Pinterest recipes.
Here are some tips to set you up for success this holiday season and really all year long.
1. Have easy go to Keto snacks available.
We all have those moments when we don't want to cook, or we just want something to munch on. And you need something quick, you don't want to wait for something to cook. Especially when family members are snacking around you. I have four boys who seem to always be snacking. So I have to have a lot of Keto-friendly snacks around the house, in the car, in my purse, everywhere.
My husband is the total opposite, when he is eating Keto he pretty much only eats two meals a day and is not a snacker. Me on the other hand I need to snack all day.
2. Eat before you go.
If you are going to the office to work, or going to a family members house, or even going to drive around and look at Christmas lights, eat before you go. This helps so you are not hungry and more likely to give in to temptation. I find if I have already eaten, and someone offers me something that is not Keto or even one of my favorites I am not interested if I have already eaten recently. So always eat before you go.
3. Have car snacks.
Have some non-perishable keto-friendly snacks in your vehicle at all times. This comes in handy again, when you have left the house and are out longer than you had planned or when hunger strikes, rather than needing to go through the drive through if you have a car stash of keto food, then you are less likely to make those unnecessary splurges.
4. Stay hydrated.
When you think you are hungry first try to drink some water. I keep extra water bottles in the car, I keep extra water bottles near my work station. I take 2-3 bottles of water everywhere I go, because I know that if I will drink a bottle of water, it 99% of the time will curb any craving, or that hangry feeling.
5. Plan and put in the preparation.
Proper planning prevents poor performance. Planning is vital to success, you are more likely to choose the healthier options when you plan and prepare healthier options. Have pre-cut veggies and fruits, washed and ready to eat and you will reach for those instead of the cookies. If you wait till you are hungry and then you are also tired, the easier more convenient choice of chips and cookies are more tempting. Plan ahead and make keto-friendly hot chocolate, know your favorite keto-friendly Starbucks order, or Dutch Bros order. So no matter where you are, you have a keto or low carb option ready to go. While fast food is not my favorite, I know what I can order at McDonalds, or at Chick-Fil-A that is a low carb option, I keep screenshots of Keto options on my phone, so I don't wait until I am in the drive through to look up what can I eat here. Keep a list going in your Notes App on your phone, of your go to orders for restaurants and fast food that still aligns with your goal.
Here is an extra tip...remember your WHY. Why you started your health journey, it is not a sprint, it is a marathon. I have had longer success with my healthier eating lifestyle because I remind myself of how I felt when I was eating junk all the time. Now I am not what you call strict Keto, clean Keto, I am not one who says I will never have sugar again, or potatoes ever again. I am not going to tell you to never eat a cookie, or not to have a holiday treat, I will however encourage you to remember WHY you have chosen to make healthier choices.
I am happy with myself that this Thanksgiving is my 2nd Thanksgiving in a row that I stuck with my Keto eating lifestyle, I love my Cauliflower Mash Mock Potatoes but I couldn't always say that. I was happy and satisfied with my Keto homemade cheesecake, but it has been a journey to get here. I will tell you don't beat yourself up when you don't make the healthiest choice, when you give into the holiday splurge, but make the choice to get right back up and try again. For it to be a lifestyle it has to be more than just trying to get back to pre-pregnancy weight, or fitting into a pair of jeans, being a size 6, for it to become a lifestyle you want your why to be bigger, to live long, to live strong, to feel healthy for me I am reminded of the aches and pains in my joints when I do eat sugar and white bread, this makes it easy for me to get right back on track because I don't want those pains. Remind yourself of the fatigue you feel, of the bloating, of the acid reflux, that happens when you eat the old way.
You can do this! You can eat healthy right through the holidays and still enjoy the holidays. I many times in the past have tied the joy of the holidays to eating all the sweets, I am so grateful that I have changed my mindset that I can still enjoy the joy of baking and bake Keto goodies, I can still enjoy the smells and sounds of Christmas and make it keto-friendly. I can find joy in writing cards, in singing Christmas songs, in decorating, joy in simply spending time with my family, we don't have to be doing something or eating something. This is huge for me, I have for so many years tied joy and celebrating to food.
I just like you have had one of those stressful days, where I find myself stress eating. I'm not even hungry or craving that thing, I just turn to it because of stress and because it is easy and available. So make healthier options easy and available!
Here are my favorite go to Keto snacks:
Almonds, Cheese Sticks, Pickles, Protein Packs, Lunch Meat, Keto Bars, Beef Jerky, Hard Boiled Eggs, Pork Rinds, Cucumbers, Celery,
I hope these tips will help you successful go through this holiday season sticking with your healthier eating choices. Thank you for reading if you've enjoyed the content you've read above please share with your friends. The beautiful photographs used in this post were taken by my friend Britney @YourCreativeCounterPart. Go give her a follow and some love on her page.
