Stay on track through those family Christmas parties.

Five ways to keep your goals on track and still be a gracious dinner guest.

Dinner party dilemma
By Sandy Braz

So you have to attend a dinner party this weekend and you’re excited about it, but you’ve been training hard to hit your goal and you don’t want your investment in sweat equity to suddenly plummet. What to do?
Here are five ways to save your waistline this weekend, without being a party pooper:
1. Offer to help with the menu. You don’t have to announce that you’re “bringing something healthy”– just offer to help the host by bringing one of your favorite recipes. This way you can enjoy other items served that night knowing that you’re only a helping away from a clean entrée or side dish to a clean entrée or side dish to help boost the nutrition on your plate. Check out Oxygen’s online recipes for some great ideas.
2. Don’t skip meals! Even though a big dinner is in your future, don’t think that skipping meals is going to help you save calories. Show up to the party hungry and you could find yourself making some unhealthy choices to compensate for the hunger pangs. Instead, stick with your usual clean diet throughout the day, perhaps scaling back on portions as the evening nears, to save a little room for your evening meal.
3. Exercise! Today is not the day to skip a workout, so make it a priority to hit the gym. Not only will you get your metabolism soaring, which will help blast calories throughout the day, but you’ll also tone your muscles before slipping into that strapless number. A great confidence booster!
4. Hydrate, hydrate. Keep water nearby at all times. For every sip of wine, take three to four sips of water. This will help your drink last longer, plus it will keep you hydrated and feeling full throughout the night so you’re not tempted to snack or overload your plate.
5. Be gracious. While other guests may be loading their plates with all the trimmings, you want to find a balance between sticking to your goals and not offending the host. How do you do it? Have a plan. If you’re encouraged to “eat more,” simply thank the host and say the food and portions are perfect and they’re hitting the spot. Letting your host know that you’re enjoying the meal is a great way to make everyone feel more comfortable.

*What I am finding works well for me is to always have a glass of water in my hand. Sometimes our hands and mouths just want to stay busy;) Pin It

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This is the last day to get the 2 free weeks of ANY future session in 2011, with  registration for the Winter Intensive. Also, 10% off if you join with friends!

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