WIAW 12/17 - What I will be eating!

So I had a whole post ready to show you what I ate on Monday, but lets be honest, my eats were not amazing. I had toast. Salad. Fruit. Peanut Butter. You know the drill.

Instead, I want to share with you what I will be eating as I head off to see my family tomorrow. I am committed to a semi clean diet with lots of fresh produce and plant-based proteins. I love my family, but they are not on the same train.

My wonderful southern family cooks things in real butter and bacon grease. We eat dessert after every dinner and often during 4pm coffee break too. Does this sound like your family? Often, I leave our visits with a full, happy heart, but a sad, heavy belly.

I wanted to share some of my tips for enjoying the holidays and family, while listening to your body. Here are the things I plan on doing over the next two weeks:

1. I won't let food control my holiday. 
I confess, I have spent time stressing over holiday meals. Ex: "Oh no, we are having ham for dinner. I don't eat ham. And the potatoes are loaded with butter and cream. Actually, everything is loaded with butter an cream." Not. Worth. It. This Christmas, I refuse to let food be a stress point for me. I know that having a few bites of rich food won't hurt me.

2. I will come prepared. 
Following step one is really dependent on me coming prepared. I bring protein powder on my trip and a blender bottle - Vega is an excellent option because it includes veggie servings too. I grab yogurt, fruit, and almond milk at grocery store once I get there to enjoy as snacks. I bring a reusable water bottle and drink TONS of water each day. Those things help significantly.

3. I will modify and maintain my workouts. 
My Grandmother's home (holiday headquarters for my family) is in a more rural area of Texas. While I have done lots of running out there, I get a little worried about running on those back roads. 1) I could get lost because everything looks the same, 2) I could get hit my a truck because everyone drives trucks, there are no sidewalks, and the speed limit is 60, and 3) I could get bit by a dog/snake/other animal.
So I run the the local high school and use their track for speed workouts. I also run laps of the town square - each lap is about a half of a mile - and I break it up with stair sprints up the courthouse steps.
I also plan on using workout videos from you-tube. I have recently become obsessed with the Tone It Up yoga videos, ab workouts (this is sooo good), and butt workouts. These will come in handy over the holiday!

4. I will recognize that it is all about balance. 
Healthy eating is a balance. It is about making good choices and enjoying those choices. So I may limit breakfast more if I know we have a big dinner planned. Or, I will enjoy our large breakfast and have a fresh salad for lunch. The key is balance, and planning ahead lets me enjoy each meal.

I hope these tips helped as you prepare for your holiday travels and family visits! Do you have any other ways that you maintain your health over the holidays? Please share in the comments below!

x0x0, 

Hannah

As always, thank you for hosting, Jenn! Sorry if I didn't quite follow the rules ;)