Enjoy Super Bowl Sunday without “Sacking” Your Health Goals

January 22, 2018 Comments Off on Enjoy Super Bowl Sunday without “Sacking” Your Health Goals

Super Bowl Sunday seems to fall conveniently after a month of making healthy changes. You shouldn’t let your health goals keep you from having a good time, though! Yes, you’re probably going to be faced with trying to avoid savory chicken wings and free flowing beer, but there’s a way to join the party without “sacking” your goals. Y’all…I’ve been holding onto that pun for a year now so I’m taking advantage of the opportunity to use it.

football graphic tee, skinny jeans, and tennis shoes

football graphic tee, skinny jeans, and tennis shoes

football graphic tee, skinny jeans, and tennis shoes

football graphic tee, skinny jeans, and tennis shoes

Tee: ATX Mafia (sold out), Similar | Plaid shirt: Ralph Lauren | Jeans: Nordstrom | Shoes: DSW | Sunglasses: DIFF Eyewear | Earrings: Kendra Scott

I’ve always loved Super Bowl Sunday even if I don’t have a certain team to root for. I will take any excuse to gather around the living room with friends and snacks. This year I’m extra pumped for the half-time show! Justin Timberlake is such a phenomenal entertainer and one of the few triple-threats of our time (he can dance, sing, and act). Plus, we’re birthday twins.

I have a few tips from my health coaching days that can be useful on Super Bowl Sunday:

ONE. Do not show up to the party hungry. It might seem like a good plan to eat lightly all day leading up to the big game, but this could actually hurt your efforts to stay on track! If you spend the day nibbling on next to nothing you will be ravenous by the time you get to the party and you’ll go ham on the chicken wings and queso. Not.Good. The game starts at 6:30 pm, which is dinner time for a lot of us. I suggest eating breakfast and lunch as usual, and even making a small sandwich or sufficient snack before leaving the house. This will prevent you from over indulging on all of the finger foods. This way you can allow yourself to munch on the snacks you’re dying to try rather than filling up on all of it.

TWO. Have no shame in being THAT girl that brings the healthier option. People might give you a hard time at first, but within minutes you’ll see them dig into your snack. You are not the only person at the party with their health in mind. Don’t be afraid to show up with a veggie tray and hummus or a fruit bowl. Odds are that you won’t be the only one eating it. Own it!

THREE. Let’s talk alcohol. For those of you that are not cutting out alcohol completely but staying conscious of your intake, rethink what you drink. Light beers seem very attractive at occasions like this. I love a cold Michelob Ultra at house parties or tailgates. Drinking this beer means I’m athletic, right? Lolz jk. Even though light beers are as low as 95 calories a can, you can easily drink too many and rack up calories in no time. Let’s be honest, that stuff goes down like water. Before half time you could easily down four of these bad boys. If you’re a beer drinker, reach for a darker brew in order to drink slower. Shiner Bock is my fave dark beer. Darker beer = heavier beer = a much slower drinking pace. While this beer has more calories than a lighter option, you will drink it much slower and consume less by the end of the game.

FOUR. If you’re trying to avoid alcohol altogether, equip yourself with a prop. I am a firm believer that half of the reason people drink is so they have something to do with their hands. If you’re not going to hold a beer or a cocktail, bring yourself a non-alcoholic prop. La Croix and Topo Chico are perfect options for this. Plus, the carbonation makes you drink them slow-ish much like you would a beer. Last year I gave up alcohol for lent and was successful for all of two weeks because I ordered Topo Chico instead of something alcoholic.

FIVE. Most important of all: If you do indulge more than you anticipated, do.not. guilt yourself for it. You are human, and it is ok to enjoy food and drink with good people. That’s what it’s all about! The next day is your chance to get back on track. The most common theme of 2018 is loving yourself, and one of the best ways you can do that is by not leaving any room for guilt.

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