Holidays are a fun time where we get to surround ourselves with friends and family and simply have a good time and enjoy each other’s company. It’s a day that many people get off from school or work and allow themselves a little time to unwind and relax with a three-day weekend. One downside, however, is that we tend to let our guard down during Memorial Day parties, and we can possibly pack on the pounds if we aren’t careful.
For that reason, I’ve come up with some straightforward strategies that you can implement so you don’t feel as if your belt is a noose around your midsection during Memorial Day parties.
In this article, we are doing to look at things you should be doing this holiday so that you can make it through your Memorial Day parties without completely destroying your diet and the progress you’ve made both in the kitchen and the gym.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is recommended that you speak to your doctor before making changes to your nutrition plan or exercise program.
1. Schedule a workout on the morning of the party
A great way to prepare for the day of a party is by getting your workout in first thing in the morning. Wake up, grab some breakfast (or exercise in a fasted state), and crush a workout — both weights and cardio.
By getting in early, not only are you burning calories to start your day and getting it out of the way, but after being at Memorial Day parties all day (or even all night), you are less likely to find your way to the gym — or your gym might close early on that day forcing you to skip your workout. Schedule it early and get it in. No excuses. It can help you leverage the food you’ll eat at the Memorial Day parties and use it more so as a cheat meal.
2. Eat something small before Memorial Day parties
I’m not saying you need to eat an entire meal before you go to a party, but by having a little something (maybe an apple with some natural peanut butter), you are less likely to show up to Memorial Day parties starving and wind up eating everything in sight — including the foods you usually wouldn’t put on your plate. Keep it small and light. Don’t go for heavy, high-calorie foods before you go.
You could even help get in your protein earlier before your Memorial Day parties by using something like MuscleSport Lean Whey. One scoop of this deliciously satisfying protein powder provides you with only 130 calories while also containing 25g of high-quality protein, 2g of fat, 2g of sugar, and only 4g of carbs.
The liquid from the Lean Whey shake will help trick your system into thinking your stomach is full while also providing you with the protein and amino acids necessary to help your muscles recover and repair from the workout you crushed earlier that morning.
3. Drink lots of water throughout the day
Water is your best friend. Not only due to the hydration standpoint but because it can trick your brain into thinking you are full even when you didn’t eat anything (thanks to the appetite-suppressing hormone leptin). As mentioned earlier, when we drink water, it fills up the stomach partially. The stomach then sends a signal up to the brain, saying, “Hey, I have something in me, turn off the sensation of hunger until this is gone,” which is when the release of leptin takes place.
Additionally, you should be consuming water if you are partaking in any adult beverages at your Memorial Day parties. Follow up any adult beverage with a glass or bottle of water. Not only will this help you prevent dehydration, but it will also help you limit your alcohol consumption, which we will touch on at the end of this article as well.
4. Fill up on fibrous foods if available
Fiber is extremely healthy and a nutrient we all need and that most of us don’t get enough of. Fiber can be found in vegetables like broccoli, fruit like apples, and even in things like nuts such as almonds.
Why is this important? Because at Memorial Day parties, we tend to see all of those items I just mentioned. These fibrous foods will help you feel satiated and prevent you from overeating. You can either eat these items before a meal so you don’t stuff your face later, or you can add them to your meal if you want to stay away from all those tempting desserts on the table.
5. Pass on seconds
Passing on the thought of seconds doesn’t mean adding twice as much food to your first plate to compensate. Fix yourself a plate with healthy lean proteins, vegetables (green and leafy would be preferred if available), and if you want to indulge a little, toss on something you normally wouldn’t eat during the week (heck, it’s a holiday party, right?). You’ll want to ensure that your protein and healthy items outweigh the “poor” choices you decide to add to your plate.
When you finish your plate, politely put the dish in the sink/dishwasher, or if it is a paper plate, simply toss it in the garbage can. You don’t need to make a big scene like you didn’t enjoy the food, but eliminating the plate makes you less likely to go up and help yourself to seconds or even thirds.
6. Minimize your alcohol consumption
I’m not naïve to think that you won’t enjoy an adult beverage with your friends or family if you’re of age. This can be something like a beer, mixed drink, or even something straight like a glass of scotch. The key is to not overconsume on these types of beverages. While I’m not the fun police, the obvious choice would be to not drink at all since alcohol doesn’t provide you with any benefits.
Alcohol is loaded with empty calories that do absolutely nothing for you in terms of helping you reach your health and physique goals. In fact, too much alcohol and empty calories will make you wonder why your pants fit a little tighter than normal.
Minimize or skip the alcohol altogether. Not only all of that, but no one likes to be around someone who’s drunk and has had too much to drink — don’t be that person and embarrass yourself.
Alcohol substitutes are a hot trend these days and with many options like fun non-alcoholic beer, seltzers, sparkling water, virgin mixers, fruit-infused water or tea, kombucha, and the good old-fashioned zero-calorie soda.
BONUS!
If you want to make it through Memorial Day parties without destroying your progress, it may also be beneficial for you to leverage a powerful fat burner into the mix. While you could purchase a bunch of products separately, MuscleSport is giving you an opportunity to stack three hard-hitting products where we give you a 20% discount on your entire stack.
Best of all, YOU get to choose the products you want in your stack — making it completely customizable to your individual wants and needs based on your goals.
This means that you can:
- Pick your favorite fat burner from the MuscleSport lineup to help boost your metabolism during Memorial Day parties and help you burn calories even while sitting around chatting with friends and family.
- Choose a protein powder that not only allows you to improve muscle recovery and repair following your Memorial Day workout but it can also help keep you feeling full and satiated (even though the flavors of the protein will leave your mouth watering).
- Lastly, you can choose from a list of wellness products, such as additional fat burners, testosterone boosters, vitamins, minerals, reds and greens, nootropics, digestive enzymes, joint formulas, and MORE!
- Even better, if you see more products you like, we allow you to add a fourth product into your stack, such as pre-workouts, amino acids, creatine, and additional products to help you stay on track with your results.
Don’t let Memorial Day parties ruin your progress! Utilize the tips and strategies from this article and combine them with your favorite MuscleSport products to build the ultimate stack to get you the best results possible.