Holiday Food and Sabotage

Here is my blog for Holiday Food with Your Family Friends and Low-Carb Substitutions that can be made.

https://skinny-rules.com/2013/11/24/holiday-food-time-and-delicious-low-carb-substitutions/

However, today’s blog is about holiday parties–family, friends or work.  This time of year, I hear a lot about people being surrounded by parties with bad food choices, bad drink choices, alcohol and desserts galore.  I went to my chiropractor and there were many chocolate items there.

healthsabotage

5 Things You Can Do To Not Gain Weight at Holiday Parties!

1.  Take a piece of food or dessert, if you must, take a bite and then toss it in the trash when no one is looking.  A bite won’t kill your diet, but if you can’t say no to the rest, then this strategy is not for you.

2.  Just say “NO!” Seriously, how much do you love yourself and your commitment to your diet?  Most of the sugar and GMO products are not good for your health anyway.  Do you care at all about how it will affect you?  Stop poisoning yourself with white sugar.

3.  EAT before you get there.  You are more likely to nibble on healthy things because you are not ravenous.  You can nibble on fruit and vegetables, and have water or if you must, one hard liquor cocktail.  The more you have wine, beer or champagne–and especially fruit cocktails, the more carbohydrates you are consuming unnecessarily.  I have had someone tell me that they go to these things and are hungry and then, the bad food looks extra good to them  and it is harder to say, “No!”  Why tempt yourself?  Why drive yourself crazy?  Eat an egg, cheese, nuts, a piece of fruit, yogurt–something low carb and healthy before you get there.  If you know for sure that there are good low-carb food items, then you need not worry.

4.  If you know the host, you could make a request for something like a vegetable platter or low-fat meat and low-fat cheese platter.

5.  Don’t succumb to peer pressure to eat badly.  Most people NOT on a diet, who know that they SHOULD be on one, can’t wait to watch someone doing well on a diet–fall off of their diet.  It makes them feel better about themselves being heavier or enjoying thinking they are the best looking person in the room.  So, don’t give them this satisfaction.

foodsabotage

I get pleasure in telling people, “NO! Stop pressuring me!”  Worse case scenario, just blame your doctor and say you are under a doctor’s care and these are his orders.  If they are NOSEY and ask you for what–“tell them that you don’t like talking about it.”  And if they ask again, repeat what I just wrote.  If they ask the third time, then you have a right to say, “I would appreciate it if you stop trying to delve into my medical history. I like to keep it private.”  I hate nosey people.

And the same thing goes for the alcohol.  Alcohol has to be very limited to NOTHING during the weight loss process.  If your body is busy using its energy to metabolize the alcohol in your liver, then there is no energy left during that period to break down fat.  

I want to stay thin, I rarely drink.  I gain easily.  It is not worth it to me.  I prefer being thin.  Much more fun than eating something that goes inside in less than a minute.  Thin lasts longer.

New Years Drink and Being on a Diet

I haven’t blogged in a couple of days due to the holiday schedule.  It is important that I talk about drinking since it is almost New Years Eve.

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DRINKING and STAYING THIN DOESN’T GO TOGETHER

People tend to think that they can drink on a diet if they are careful, but not only does alcohol give you carbs to deal with, it slows your ability to burn calories.

Robert Atkins of the Atkins Diet has stated that the problem with all alcoholic beverages, and the reason he recommends refraining from alcohol consumption on a diet because when you first take it in, it is the first fuel to burn. So, while that’s going on, your body will not burn fat. This does not stop the weight loss, it simply postpones it, since the alcohol does not store as glycogen, you immediately go back into ketosis/lipolysis after the alcohol is used up.  You could consume less food, but this is not healthy for your body, as is over-exercise.

If you must drink alcohol, wine is an acceptable.  Watch the amount.  The table I list here has a small glass. If wine does not suit your taste, straight liquor such as scotch, rye, vodka, and gin would be appropriate, as long as the mixer is sugarless; this means no juice, tonic water; or non-diet soda. Seltzer and diet soda are appropriate.”

Distilled spirits (vodka, rum, whiskey, etc.) do not have anything left but the alcohol, so might be zero carb. However, mixers in many cases are sugary, so watch out for this. Just two ounces (1/4 cup) of “sweet and sour mix,” often employed for whiskey sours, daiquiris and margaritas, has 17 grams of carbohydrate. As a substitute, you can ask for lime or lemon juice, and add your personal sweetener.

While losing my 40 pounds, I didn’t drink at all.  I had one small drink since then and it is rare for me to drink because I want to maintain my weight.  If I do have a drink, I make sure I exercised earlier in the day and had lower carbs that day.  You have to plan every day if you want to be skinny and stay skinny.

A margarita has anywhere from 7 to 15g of carbs per glass.  There are low cal versions.  Here is one at 5g of carbs:  http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/beverages/r/locarbmargarita.htm

Try to be aware of what you are drinking, how much and how often.

FROM A HEALTH PERSPECTIVE:

It is best not to consume alcohol at all. Alcohol is a by-product of yeast digestion (the yeast equivalent of urine) and is known to damage the stomach, kidneys, and liver. Alcohol adds fat principally by producing cravings for both itself and other carbohydrates, and even other addictive substances. It is almost impossible to drink alcohol and follow the hunter-gatherer lifestyle. If you must drink, do so only on special occasions (once or twice a year) and stick to alcohols derived from fruit (wine and champagne.)

Alcohol Item (serving size)
Carbs (g)
Beer, regular (12 fl oz)
13g
Beer, light (12 fl oz)
4.5g
Wine, red (3.5 fl oz)
1.75g
Wine, rose (3.5 fl oz)
1.5
Wine, white (3.5 fl oz)
1g
Cider, dry (1 pint)
15g
Gin, Rum, Vodka, Whisky (1 fl oz)
0g
Sherry (2 fl oz)
3g
Port (2 fl oz)
6g
Guinness (1/2 pint)
4g