moderation Archives - My Healthy, Happier Life

So, these final few days in New York City are pretty amazing in very sad ways.

We feel like we’re leaving forever even though it’s only 2 or 3 years and we’ll be back within 3-4 months for a marathon and wedding along with the Christmas holidays. But, when you’re accustomed to spending multiple long runs, weekends, or happy hours with people it really is an eternity. Therefore, every single evening for about a two week time period I have either a happy hour or dinner on my calendar.

I’ll admit – my Instagram includes one too many going away picture but each night, with friends, I get really, really, really sappy.

So reflecting on the week that follows and the week that has past, I’m proud of myself for being okay with plans every night since it’s a rare occasion. It isn’t every week that a couple moves to Europe and therefore leaves their incredible friends behind. So instead of getting stressed about all the bubbly and delicious food we’re enjoying we’ve been making sure to be reasonable about it and thank our lucky stars for the opportunity and great friends.

So, how are we finding moderation right about now? Well, I can only speak for myself, so here goes.

Each morning seems to be a social hour of a different kind. I’ve had more group workouts and run dates in the past two weeks than I can remember. But, it’s amazing. Why else would one choose to run 5 miles in Central Park and enjoy not one but two hills and 95% humidity at 6am? Why would someone do Uplift Strength and Barry’s Bootcamp within 12 hours of each other? Oh and last but not least, why would I choose to do hot power yoga, long run, and runners boot camp within 24 hours of each other? Well, because that’s how you balance lots of wine and squeeze in time with friends.

In addition, I’ve been balancing the evening dinners and drinks with super clean food during the day. A creature of habit, I haven’t strayed from my morning iced coffee, oatmeal and banana nor my afternoon giant salad. Mix that with a few green juices here and there and you actually have a pretty healthy balance of work hard, eat healthy, sweat lots, and be social!

I’m not perfect. I don’t claim to be in swimsuit model shape for this weekend’s Hamptons beach trip but at the end of the day I’m enjoying life and cherishing the time we have with our New York City friends before our move.

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I feel like I need to find some wood to knock on before typing this post. So, now that I’ve knocked on our beloved hutch, I want to share with you some of my tips for finding moderation amongst the crazy weekends.

The past few weekends have consisted of a bit more late nights out, cocktails, and fun than normal.

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Last night was no exception to the trend, including a delicious two hour dinner, fancy cocktails,and a bed time far past 2am.

Even though the parties have been going non stop since the holidays, I’ve actually lost weight, improved my running, and feel healthier overall. Don’t get me wrong, this post isn’t necessarily advocating 4am dance parties, cocktails, and nights out on the town. What I am trying to do, is share some of what I’ve learned, so that you too can live up the best time of your life and not have to buy a new wardrobe due to weight gain.

1. Make your weekdays even better: Do your best to fit in your workouts Monday through Friday. If you find it’s difficult to find motivation, invite your friends to join you for an evening yoga session,a run, or your other favorite workout. Since the holidays, I’ve also made it my goal to enjoy one day with double workouts, whether that means running in the morning and doing yoga at night or running with Lululemon run club in the evening after a personal training session. This extra bit of movement, versus normal, has really helped my mood and gives me something to look forward to during the week. To prevent over training, I ensure that my evening session is a recovery.

2. Write it down: Monday through Friday afternoon, I track everything that eat. This helps me keep my food intake in check. Since I joined Weight Watchers almost six years ago, I’ve always weighed in on Fridays. This allows me to enjoy the weekends with friends and Bo without stressing. Writing my food down has helped me turn a blind eye to office treats as well. Having a food journal can also help me analyze meals and stay in touch with which ones satiate me more so I can improve my meal choices, ensuring that the calories fuel me in the best way possible.

3. Protein: After years of reading about protein’s benefits, I finally listened to my personal trainer and started bulking up my meals with protein. For me, it needs to be easy and tasty or I won’t keep up with it. Therefore, things like protein shakes don’t work as the half mixed, chalky taste doesn’t do it for me at the office. A few of my additions/swaps are below:

My oatmeal breakfasts now include either 1/2 scoop protein powder, chia seeds, or flax seeds.
My salad includes two healthy proteins versus one.
My afternoon snack is now Chobani yogurt, fruit, and 1/4 cup of cereal or apple and either almonds or cheese stick.

4. Get back on track faster: Historically, Friday night through Sunday night were my “free days” during which I enjoyed, in moderation, what I wanted. Now, even if Saturday night’s fun doesn’t end until 4am Sunday morning, I do my best to get back on track Sunday versus continuing the indulgence on the sofa. For example, this morning we all craved an indulgent brunch which came in the form of healthy challah French toast (using egg whites, skim milk, etc) instead of a bottomless brunch.

I also try to squeeze in some type of workout the day after a late night just to get my body moving. Today I squeezed in a quick hour workout, including a 5k run and elliptical session which was the perfect mix of sweating and catching up over magazines. Knowing that I had the rest of the day to enjoy the couch, Grey’s Anatomy, and my friends made me push myself even harder at the gym so I could finish quicker.

Tell me: How do you find moderation?

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Last week, I did a post about moderation during the holidays. I shared wonderful tips including keeping up with your regular workouts, drinking lots of water, and shared tips from other readers and Twitter friends.

Then, I enjoyed an amazing weekend and forgot about that whole moderation thing. In fact, by the end of our 2nd Annual Diamond Holiday Party everything looked kind of hazy and blurry.

I had a wonderful time with our amazing friends on Saturday night and even acted as bartender for the first time! I have now learned that a bartender is supposed to serve, not serve themselves! As I look back on the evening I remember toasting one too many times during the night. You know what, it’s okay, I had a great time!

Our food spread, ranging from spicy crab dip to stuffed peppadew peppers, was also easy to enjoy too much!

These meatballs, a recipe found in the new Meatball Shop cookbook, was the clear winner! Much to our delight however, there was no one dish that wasn’t enjoyed. Last year we had a few dishes that were only a quarter to half eaten. This year, the only thing left was some ham, rolls, and a few cupcakes!

The pictures from the night truly highlight our friends’ amazing taste in tacky holiday attire and the festive mood! Here’s a glimpse into the evening:

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It was such a fun evening but I definitely did not move off the couch yesterday. I slept until 1pm when I finally crawled out of bed for a glass of water and the couch. Bo and I spent the rest of the afternoon napping, reading, watching TV, and cleaning the apartment. I fell asleep on the couch around 8:30, finally moving into the bedroom at 10pm. This morning I quickly turned off my alarm at 5:30, knowing that my body needed more sleep.

This isn’t exactly the best way to stick with my moderation plan or keep off the holiday weight. Hopefully, you all have done as I said and not as I did this weekend. But, if you enjoyed one too many holiday drinks this weekend, I can now provide a few tips for getting back on track after one day, which is far easier than after a week of treats and imbibing.

Start your day with warm lemon water, a delicious and warm beverage that will help flush unwanted toxins and aid digestion.
Eat a healthy breakfast rich in fiber and nutrients but calorie rich enough to not leave you starving.
Pack plenty of healthy snacks to enjoy throughout the day in case you get hungry or have a craving. This will keep you from giving into the cookie jar or the holiday dessert plate.
Take your vitamins!
Try writing down your food for a few days. During the craziest time of the year, this can help you stay on track by helping you realize what you’re eating.

Also, if you’re going to host your second party in 48 hours, make sure that you provide at least a few healthy options for your guests to enjoy to balance out the baked goods and wine.