‘Tis the season … that many people freak out about all the calories they are about to consume.

Understandably so! Temptations are everywhere this time of year!

• Your workplace probably has a new cookie delivery every day in December.
• Your calendar is likely full of parties where high-calorie adult beverages and appetizers will be freely passed around.
• You have at least one family feast to attend, if not several, all in one or two days.
• You may be traveling with limited access to everything you (think) you need to stay on track with training.

BUT .. you have a choice in how you approach the holidays.

You can CHOOSE to relax and enjoy yourself.
OR
You can CHOOSE to be scared, stressed, and anxiety-filled.

All the things that make “dieting” hard, to begin with, will only be multiplied this month.
But with a little planning and the right attitude, the holiday season is NOTHING to worry about.

8 Easy Tips For a Guilt-Free Holiday

DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF…
If you go to a party or sit down at the holiday dinner table extremely hungry, you will no doubt overeat. Be mindful of what you eat leading into your holiday feast, but don’t go in starving. Unless you already incorporate dieting techniques such as Intermittent Fasting, if you are hungry before your feast, we do not suggest you skip meals.

Fill up on lean proteins and veggies, or enjoy a delicious Sculpt Nation protein shake using our top of the line Whey Protein Isolate!

CHOOSE WISELY…
Just because it’s available does not mean you have to eat it. You should prioritize your favorite foods and only eat what you enjoy.

If you don’t love cranberry sauce, why eat it?
If you have been craving your grandma’s stuffing all year, eat more of that!
If you aren’t a big drinker, pass on the egg nog and have yourself a bigger slice of pie!
Pile up on protein, but maybe go light on the gravy.

Also, remember that your eyes tend to be bigger than your stomach. Sometimes simply seeing or smelling all that delicious food will increase your appetite. Sculpt Nation BURN EVOLVED would be a great product to implement. BURN EVOLVED is a cutting edge fat burner that contains a powerful appetite suppressant that can help hold back the desire to overfill your plate.

BE MINDFUL…
When it’s time to dig in, start with smaller portions, and then eat slowly. If you think you want to go back for seconds (or thirds), give yourself a break before filling your plate again.

Your hands are a great measuring tool if you want to ensure you don’t go overboard.

Your clenched fist is about a cup… This measure is useful for side dishes.

The palm of your hand is about 3 ounces of cooked meat… Use this as a guide for all that turkey and ham.

Your thumb = about 1 tablespoon…. This measure comes in handy when you’re trying to estimate things like dressings and gravy.

MODIFY…
We are NOT suggesting that you ask your wife, mom, or grandma to change their family recipe. But there is nothing wrong with modifying the dish that you contribute.
There are endless ways to make all your holiday favorites into lower-calorie options, especially for breakfast! Why not serve up some Sculpt Nation Protein Pancakes instead of a high-calorie Christmas morning feast. With a little creativity, modifications are endless!

JUST MOVE…
You may not be able to get in your usual lifts and cardio, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get in a good workout. At the very least, you can always go for a brisk walk or jog.

If time allows, our YouTube Channel has endless home workouts that take no equipment and only minutes of your day!

One thing we DO NOT want you to do is use verbiage like “earning” your dinner. Food is not some sort of reward and exercise should not be seen as punishment. Treat your holiday workout just like you would any other day of the year. Do it because you are ABLE and because it’s part of your lifestyle.

SPEAK UP…
Do not be shy when it comes to telling people about your healthy lifestyle. Tell everyone about why it is important to you! It will hopefully keep them from guilting you into overeating or making comments about your choices. You never know, you may even motivate them to do the same. To help them get started and point them in the right direction. you can always encourage them to take our FREE body type quiz!

STAY OFF THE SCALE…
While one meal, or even a few, will not wreck your progress, it most likely will have temporary effects on your weight. If you eat lots of food, all of that volume will be sitting in your stomach until it fully digests. The weight gain you see is not FAT GAIN. Most of what you see on the scale will be fluid retention. Not to mention other factors that can cause the scale to go up. Things like stress, lack of sleep, and even travel.

Holidays aside, remember that even on a typical day, weight can fluctuate several pounds. The holidays are no different. Take a scale break. Before you weigh yourself post-holiday, give your body at least 3-5 days to normalize.

ENJOY EVERY BITE…
Worrying about weight gain is way more unhealthy than any temporary pounds you may (but most likely will not) pack on.

We aren’t saying that it is okay to “overindulge” just because it’s a holiday.
We are saying that a few days of enjoying yourself WILL NOT derail your progress.

Stressing out over the holidays isn’t going to do anything except make you less likely to enjoy your time with friends and family. In fact, all that anxiety can backfire and be the reason you overeat. Having a preoccupation with food often causes people to go to ‘extremes’ and do things like binge-eat. Stress also raises your cortisol levels, which can lead to scale fluctuations and even excess fat storage.

If you have a problem controlling your anxiety, you may want to grab some Sculpt Nation NEUROCTANE. This product features adaptogens that naturally reduce stress and raise dopamine and serotonin levels. You will naturally feel more relaxed in those stress and anxiety-filled situations.

We know the holidays are an expensive time of year, so we teamed up with Sculpt Nation to bring you a major discount on the supplements that melt fat, build lean muscle, and revitalize your health.

Don’t let the holiday cash-crunch bring you down. Get all Sculpt Nation supplements (including the ones I mentioned earlier ) 40% off when you use code: Christmas40 at checkout! Click Here.

REMEMBER… the holidays are about more than food. Shift your focus to making memories that don’t involve eating. Do not be so focused on food and weight gain that you miss out on what is important this Holiday season. You can’t redo life once it’s passed you by!

From our V SHRED family to yours, we wish you a HAPPY (and stress-free) HOLIDAY.