Congratulations! You’ve survived
Thanksgiving, hopefully with your waistline relatively unscathed. Now
the next challenge awaits you as we head into the next couple weeks
devoted to parties and food, food, food. How can you avoid being labeled
a party-pooper while staying true to Atkins? In fact, how can you do
some entertaining yourself and serve foods your guests will appreciate
as much as your waistline does? And finally, how can you still fit in
time for your fitness regimen between holiday shopping, gift-wrapping
and shipping, a busy social schedule and, oh, yes, a family and a job.
I’m
here to tell you it can be done. I’ve been living the Atkins lifestyle
for 25 years, so I’ve developed some strategies that work for me, and
I’m sure they’ll do the same for you. Let’s start with the culinary
temptations. One of the great things about Atkins is that eating the
low-carb way keeps your blood sugar on an even keel. That means that you
aren’t craving sweets or ravenous at meal times—assuming, of course,
that you’ve taken our advice to have a mid-morning and mid-afternoon
snack in addition to three squares.
Eating and Entertaining
Eat before you eat. Before
you hit a holiday lunch or dinner, a party or an office celebration,
fortify yourself with a filling Atkins-friendly snack before you go. My
favorite snacks are almonds and strawberries, cheddar cheese with some
strips of red pepper or, of course, an Atkins Advantage bar or a shake.
Or you could a have a small low-carb meal, such as a chef salad topped
with grilled chicken. The combination of a small amount of carbs with
either fat or protein will stabilize your blood sugar so you don’t
arrive famished. That way, you’ll have the physical backup to your
mental fortitude so you can pass up holiday foods that are not on your
low-carb meal plan.
Give it away. If you receive
personal or business gifts that are high in carbs—think cookies,
chocolate, fruitcake, flavored popcorn and the like—re-gift them to your
child’s school or a homeless shelter. If such gifts arrive at your
office, simply put them in a public area like the coffee break room. I
guarantee they will disappear fast.
Keep snacks on hand. If
your workplace is awash in holiday goodies, it’s all the more important
that you stick with your low-carb snacks to keep your appetite under
control. If possible, avoid the parts of the office where bowls of candy
and plates of cookies beckon. You might even want to talk to the office
manager or whoever is responsible for this holiday custom and suggest
some healthy alternatives like fresh fruit and nuts.
Hold the booze. When
alcoholic beverages are being served, confine yourself to a glass (or
two at the most) of wine or one glass of spirits. That’s assuming that
you are out of Induction, of course. Just be sure to have your spirits
with water or a mixer made without sugar in any form.
Master the buffet. Buffets are actually full of Atkins-friendly options. Stick to the roast turkey, ham, roast beef, salmon filet or other protein
dishes,
as well as tossed salads and “foundation vegetables.” If you’re in the
later phases of Atkins, have modest portions of sweet potatoes, carrots,
or other starchy veggies—or even some whole-grain bread. You may want
to sneak in an Endulge bar for your dessert. At sit-down meals, there’s
no rule against simply not serving yourself a food you want to stay away
from. If your hostess insists, take a small portion, have a tiny taste
and leave it at that. No need to announce to the world that you’re doing
Atkins and are more virtuous than everyone else!
Staying Fit
No
matter how “good” you are when it comes to holiday temptations; the
reality is that you’ll probably take in a few extra carbs. The best way
to deal with that is to get up the next morning and get back on track.
The worst thing you can do is wallow in guilt and decide that you’ve
blown it and need to wait until after the holidays to get serious about
your weight. There’s nothing like some hearty exercise to make you feel
good about yourself and help you renew your commitment. Here are some
tips for staying fit over the holidays:
Involve the family. Instead
of conking out in front of the TV after the holiday feast, take a walk
with a family member. While you’re out working off some of the meal,
hopefully someone else will take care of the dishes!
Start an “active” tradition. After
everyone has opened their presents and had breakfast, suggest a family
walk, sledding or ice skating to blow off some steam and deal with the
inevitable letdown after weeks of anticipation.
Walk the walk. Take a walk around the neighborhood with a friend (or your dog). You can check out the decorations andget a quick cardio workout.
Give the give of fitness. Wii Fit is lots of fun and keeps you and the kids active even when the weather won’t cooperate.
The
bottom line? Atkins is a lifestyle, not a diet. The holidays are a time
to enjoy family and friends, and yes, some favorite foods. If there
isn’t an Atkins-friendly alternative, enjoy a little bit of the real
thing, and make sure your next meal or snack is low-carb. Don’t beat
yourself up if you’re not continuing to lose weight during this time. A
true sign of success is maintaining what you’ve already lost while still
enjoying food, friends and family. This sets the stage for a healthy
year of low-carb living in 2017.
NOTE: I am able to keep my readings down and stay med free by following a modified low carb diet. However, everyone needs to keep track of their foods and their readings for themselves. I choose not to be on metformin because of the side effects. A low carb diet is 50 g. carbs or less per day. You may need to even go lower than that to get your readings lower. That is why we suggest keeping track of foods and also a journal of your daily readings and adjust accordingly.
