The Daily Dish~ Happy Holidays!!!

I can't believe there are only 10 days until Christmas!!! Which means the Christmas parties, special events, and holiday gatherings are in full gear! I know personally this month has been extremely busy for me so far...I've stood up in my friends beautiful winter wedding, decorated for Christmas, and made Christmas cookies with my family...and that's only the beginning of the many Christmas traditions that are to come!

No matter what holiday traditions and/or events you may be partaking in this season, i'm sure two things apply to just about everyone~ one- it's an extremly busy time of year, and two- there's food and treats every where you look! When you combine these two things, it's no wonder why the holidays generally come with the wonderful gift of weight gain!

As common as this may be however, this does not have to be the case with you! I have found that I always enjoy the holiday season, without gaining weight, all by making a simple list~ and checking it twice! It really just takes a little extra 'planning' to keep my body fit this time of year~ all while enjoying some of my favorite holiday traditions and treats!

One tip that I would give to help stay fit during the holidays is to keep exercise a priority! I know everyone is extremly busy this time of year, but if you get up an hour earlier to fit in a workout, or do something fun with your family such as ice skating or sledding, you will find that you can fit exercise in somewhere if you make it a priority! Something that works well for me is planning my workouts on Sunday night for the following week!

Another tip would be to keep portable and healthy snacks on hand at all times! The worst thing that you could do is let yourself starve...especially before a holiday party! As i've said before, when people allow themselves to get 'overly hungry' ~ they tend to eat whatever is in front of them, and generally overeat, loosing all sense of self control when they finally do sit down to eat! Which is why if you go the extra mile to plan ahead, and have snacks in your car, purse, or wherever~ you can usually avoid these types of 'holiday bingeing' situations!

The next tip to stay in shape during the holidays is to allow yourself to have your favorite Christmas treats! Let's face it, the holidays only come around once a year~ which means certain 'treats' and/or dishes are going to be prepared that are usually part of your holiday 'tradition'! Being healthy doesn't mean that you have to sit on the sidelines when it comes to partaking in a chocolate fondue party for example....But it does mean choosing your 'treats' wisely!

For example, I made Christmas cookies this past week with my family, and I knew I traditionally eat some of the cookies while decorating! So, instead of eating 3 or 4 cookies, I simply ate one! I didn't feel deprived, and I truly enjoyed every bite of that wonderfully rich cookie!

I will probably find the one treat that I really desire on Christmas Eve and Christmas day as well~ and here's the key... I will eat just one...and truly savor and enjoy every bite! Also, as I discussed in my Thanksgiving post, I do enjoy wonderfully rich holiday meals with my family, but at the same time, I try and pile my plate with as many veggies and lean proteins as I possible, and then I go back to eating healthy at my very next meal!

And last but not least, I would suggest bringing a healthy appetizer, side dish, or dessert to any holiday party you attend! There are many great selections on my site that I can guarantee no one will suspect as being healthy, (unless you tell everyone of course), and that way you can pile up on the tasty food right along side everyone else...All while keeping your health and waistline in check! :)

A few great recipes that I would suggest for holiday appetizers, side dishes, cookies, and desserts are:

Now onto the Daily Dish! I woke up bright and early Saturday morning so I could get myself ready for the wedding in addition to helping the beautiful bride! I started the day off with an amazing cup of Gingerbread Coffee in my festive snowman mug!

I then went on to have my Egg Nog Protein Shake!!! (Recipe to come this week!)

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I packed a few snacks to carry me through the day such as Cocoa Almonds, Low Sugar Granola Bars, and a Turkey Sandwich on Ezekiel Bread that I ate on the go! :)

Then I was off to the ceremony! It was BEAUTIFUL in every way! It was such an honor to stand up in this wedding, because I truly know that God put them together...It was so beautiful to witness two lives becoming one!

I had a chance to catch up with my sister Emily during the reception!

And my hubby too! :)

The details were adorable...It really made me love the idea of a winter wedding!

We rang jingle bells every time we wanted the new couple to kiss....So fun!

The dinner was family style, so I loaded up on Green Beans, Pasta with Zucchini, and A Breaded Chicken Breast, which I ended up scraping most of the breading off of, and it was still just as delicious! (I did this because I knew i'd rather save those calories for cake later!) :)