How to: Calorie Command the Holiday Season

Wednesday, Dec 15, 2021 Coaches, Featured, Lifestyle

Calorie Command HolidayHey Healthi family! Coach Ashley here!

The holidays are approaching quickly.. how is it that time already? It seems that Halloween and Thanksgiving came and went in a blink, and now we hear those sleigh bells jingling!

I wanted to talk about managing the holidays when it comes to your weight loss plan and tracking. We all know Christmas is focused on joy, giving, loved ones, get togethers and of course FOOD! This can be intimidating no matter what part of your journey you are in. Last year at this time, I was about five pounds away from my goal. I was so nervous about how to not mess up my progress, and how I was going to lose those pesky last five pounds over the holidays. I quickly realized that, though my health and my journey were a top priority, so were my family and loved ones. I knew I wanted to be able to focus on my time with them, too. I had decided then that my best bet was to maintain my weight instead of building the stress of trying to lose during that time.

So, how do we do that? You can do a few different things. One thing you could do is set your plan, temporarily, into maintenance mode. This will up your BITES/ calories/ net carbs into maintenance numbers. You can have peace of mind knowing you have that extra if you need it, as well as knowing you don’t have to gain anything over the holidays!

Another thing you can do is think about switching to Calorie Command over the holidays. We all know our beloved BITES plans are great! We also know that depending on your plan, certain things are highly discounted while others are heavily penalized. I’m talking about the fat, the sugar.. all the stuff that will probably be around the dinner table. While these calculations are what helps drive us to make better, healthier choices, sometimes that is made harder with Christmas meals that we may not be totally in charge of making. So Calorie Command is just that—straight forward calorie counting. This may help take some stress off of certain foods being higher or lower based on BITE calculations. Calories will just be straight and to the point.

So what about tracking these meals? The ones that family members have made where you’re just not sure what’s in it or how to track? My best advice here is try your best, and if anything— overestimate to be safe. If you’re having ham or turkey, there’s an entry for that! Same for mashed potatoes, all the veggies and so on. If you’re not sure about which option to go for, stick with the medium to higher side listings since there’s probably oil, butter, sugar, etc added.

“But what about how much I’m eating? I’m not bringing my food scale…”

That’s okay! Generally, you can do an eyeball estimate. A three ounce serving of protein is usually about the size of your palm. A one cup serving of veggies is about the size of a closed fist. A one cup serving of cooked pasta is roughly two (small to medium) handfuls. A single serving of cheese is about the size of your thumb.

Another great way to help keep your portions on point is to use your plate as a measuring tool. Many of us use those bigger plates to fit all the good stuff, I’m talking those rectangular divided styrofoam plates. Use that biggest portion for your lean protein. The next two largest portions for veggies, then use the smallest ones for the stuff you know you want, but don’t want to overindulge in.

And lastly, relax! One or two meals in the grand scheme of it all isn’t going to hinder your overall weight loss journey. Have those meals, track them, then get right back to your plan!

I wish you all love and success this holiday season, and have a very Merry Christmas!