Here are a few tips to stay on track even on a holiday weekend that is notorious for it's BBQ cookouts! Worry not...it's completely possible to enjoy this end-of-summer holiday party!
1. Drink water. You knew I'd say that, didn't you?? Seriously though, it's often easy to mistake thirst for hunger, and when you're dehydrated, you're more likely to make not-so-smart food decisions. So stay hydrated with the H2O, and also be mindful of how much alcohol you consume. If you are of the legal age and plan on drinking, stick with light beer (around 100 calories for a 12-oz. bottle) or wine (around 120 calories per 5-oz. glass) and be sure to drink a lot of water between each alcoholic drink. Have trouble drinking plain water? Well, a favorite flavor mixer around here is the True Lemon brand - they don't use any artificial "junk" in their packets, and in addition to lemonade, the Cherry Limeade flavor is great. Also add some lemon juice and Truvia to make your own lemonade. But if it's hot out, just try drinking plain water! And don't start the water drinking at 3 in the afternoon - start your day out right with a full glass of water with your workout before you hit the road for the lake :).
2. Don't skip a meal! Many people "save" their calories for the party, but did you know you are actually you are setting yourself up to overeat? When you arrive hungry, no matter how many calories you think you have "saved", you will likely overeat because you are starving. Also, when you skip a meal or two, you have halted your metabolism - it will shut down for awhile because it doesn't have any food to burn. And we need our bodies burning all day!!
3. Contribute to the food table. This way you can ensure that there's an item or two you can eat without guilt or worry. Of course, this doesn't work if you bring full-fat brownies, so try this recipe:
Guilt-Free Double Chocolate Brownies
12 brownies
Ingredients
·
Nonstick
cooking spray
·
4 tablespoons butter
·
2/3 cup granulated sugar
·
1/2 cup cold water
·
1 teaspoon vanilla
·
1 cup all-purpose flour
·
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
·
1 teaspoon baking powder
·
1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate pieces
·
2 teaspoon powdered sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Coat the bottom of a 9-x-9-inch baking pan with nonstick
spray. In a medium saucepan, melt butter; remove from heat. Stir in sugar,
water, and vanilla. Mix in flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder until
combined. Add chocolate pieces. Pour batter into pan; bake for 15 to 18
minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
4. Hit the grill. Grilling makes practically everything taste great, and it keeps added fat to a minimum. As long as the food isn't drowned in oil beforehand, you're pretty much good to go. My top picks? Skinless chicken breast, lean beef burgers, and veggie skewers!
5. Cool off with smart frozen treats. Stick to fruit pops and real fruit bars instead of standard ice cream sandwiches. Read the labels to check the sugar grams!
6. Stay away from mayo-laden side dishes. Even a seemingly reasonable 2/3-cup serving of potato salad has an average of 300 calories and nearly 20g fat. Not worth it!! Bring your own side dish of potato salad and just modify your recipe to include a mix of nonfat yogurt and lowfat mayo. If you need help modifying your favorite potato salad recipe, send it to me and I'll help!
7. Serve a Plate. How many times do you stand at the food table grazing? Yep, I've been guilty of that too. But can you really determine how much food you have really eaten when you spend an hour chatting with people as you stand - and graze - at the food table? Serve a plate of food, and use the rule you use with your kids or that your parents used with you...your eyes are probably bigger than your stomach, so serve small portions!
8. Let's get physical... Is there a volleyball game going on? Frisbee? A really competitive game of tag? Get in on it! You'll have fun and burn off some extra calories. Just make sure you hydrate! And seriously, you can get up and do a quick 30-minute workout before you head out to the lake or over to that BBQ.
9. Enjoy. That's the point, after all! The more time you spend having fun with family and friends (and not standing directly in front of the food spread!), the less time you'll spend thinking about the food. Oh, and one more thing...
10. Wear sunscreen. No, it won't help you burn more calories, but it's really important if you're spending time outside. Plus, if you end up sunburned, you might be tempted to drown your sorrows in a gallon of ice cream. One small bowl of ice cream = okay! A gallon? Not so much :).
Thanks, HungryGirl.com, for giving me a few of these ideas to expand upon today!
