You can have the ice cream
What is your relationship with food and holidays or celebrations?
Do you overindulge and then restrict?
A significant part of the work I do with clients is helping them break free from the chronic dieting mindset.
What would it be like to say you have a different relationship with food and no longer feel like you need to diet or have more willpower?
These are the words of a client I’ve been working with.
When you understand how to build a meal, whether you’re at home, traveling, or attending a party, you can truly have food freedom.
This is what I teach my clients.
When you eat whole, real food, you’ll likely crowd out the desire to live off of sweets and refined carbohydrates like bread, pasta, chips, cookies, and cake.
My client recently returned from vacation and said she couldn’t wait to get back to her new way of eating whole, real food.
She missed it because she felt the difference in her body from not eating well.
Every month of the year, there’s a holiday, and add to it birthdays, weddings, and other celebrations, and you’ll often find yourself in a situation where you’re navigating desserts, alcohol, and calorie laden foods.
With the fourth of July on Friday, here are my best tips for enjoying the holiday without feeling like you have to start a diet on Monday.
- Have a protein based snack beforehand so you don’t show up ravenous.
- Show up to the party with an idea of what you’d like to enjoy: is it alcohol, apple pie, ice cream, chips and guacamole?
- When you decide what you want to enjoy, rather than what you have to deprive yourself of, you’ll feel more empowered.
- Find out if you can bring an appetizer or side dish.
What’s often missing from parties is fresh vegetables, which have plenty of water and fiber.
They’re hard to overeat, and they help you to feel full, and they’ll blunt the blood sugar spike from sweets, alcohol, and bread.
- Build a plate with protein and vegetables and have it first.
My detailed meal planner shows you exactly what to do. Download it below.
- Then decide what you will enjoy, and don’t let your brain give you a guilt trip.
- Be mindful that fats, although healthy, are a calorie bomb:
Guacamole (¼ cup = 90 calories)
Mayonnaise (¼ cup = 220 calories)
Cheese (1 slice = 113 calories)
Nuts (¼ cup = 180 calories)
Salad dressing (1 tbsp = 40-120 calories)
Potato salad, pasta salad, cheese and cracker boards, and nuts can add up fast, making it easy to have a calorie-dense day.
- Here are some easy swaps:
Crackers and chips for cut-up veggies
Bun for lettuce wrap
Alcohol for a mocktail
Sour cream for Greek yogurt
Mayonnaise for Greek yogurt
- Drink plenty of water. Alcohol is dehydrating.
Fourth of July means the year is half over.
There's still time to meet your health goals and ring in 2026 feeling energized and healthy.
