How NOT to gain 10 pounds during Stampede
The Calgary Stampede. A second Christmas season, trading sweaters for daisy dukes, and good tidings for YA-HOO’s. Love it or hate it, it is one of the most anticipated times of the year in YYC. Filled with pancake breakfasts, day drunk shenanigans, and deep fried EVERYTHING on a stick.
It can be hard not to get sucked into the cowboy whimsy of it all. So how do you have a fun filled stampede without gaining 10 pounds all the while NOT feeling deprived?
Seems like a tall order, but follow my hot tips and you will be cutting those jean shorts a little shorter this year.
FOCUS ON THE VEG – are you going to be perfect during stampede? Hell, no. But by focusing on making HALF of everything you eat a vegetable you will be filling your belly full of high fiber, nutrient dense foods, leaving less room for all the junk. Tip: Eat a massive salad with some high quality fat and protein before you hit the midway. Less hungry. Less cravings.
PACK HEALTHY SNACKS – the heat, the walking, the crowds, the mechanical bulls. Stampede can work up an appetite. Having a small baggie of almonds can protect you during those blood sugar dips and keep you from reaching for your third poutine of the day.
THE NOW OR NEVER RULE – When I am tempted by a sweet treat or something covered in cheesy ecstasy I ask myself if this is a “now or never” situation. Is this my ONLY chance to have it? For instance, if you REALLY want deep fried mars bars are you going to have another chance in the near future to have it…. Likely no, so live it up and split one with a friend. A margarita, however, you can get at any chain restaurant with an ice machine so might as well make a better choice and save the splurge for something really worth it.
DRINK UP – No. I don’t mean the booze (well, not entirely that is). Dehydration causes our bodies to signal hunger – making you grab for those pulled pork sliders when really a cup of water would have done the trick. Not to mention, water is super helpful for flushing out all those toxins you might accumulate from the occasional splurge.
EAT HEALTHY 100% OF THE TIME, 80% OF THE TIME – You are going to go out and indulge, and that is more than OKAY! Nutrition is not an “all or nothing” situation so it’s important to have a little fun and join the festivities – but when you aren’t indulging REALLY focus on cleaning up your act. Pack your fridge full of super healthy foods – purge the junk from your cupboards. So the times in between all your festivities you are eating INCREDIBLY well.
HOLD MY BEER – let’s make some better – bad choices. You are going to have some drinks. That’s a given. So choose ones that aren’t going to cause blood sugar spikes, bloat, and crazy hang overs that make you want McDonald's the next day. Trade your beer or your sugary cocktails for a vodka soda or gin and tonic for way less damage but just as much fun.
Do your best and enjoy the rest! And if you indulge a little more than you were planning (… it happens to the best of us), stay tuned for a BRAND SPANKING NEW program I have coming your way. Just in time for the end of Stampede, my all new 10 DAY THRIVE DETOX to help you reset. Join the wait-list HERE! Registration opening NEXT WEEK!
