ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOOTBBAAAALLL?!?!?!?!?!?
Excuse me, just got a little excited there for a minute.
Man I love football season.
But football season means tailgates and parties and that can also mean a whole lot of calories and a really hard time losing weight.
Football season is too precious for it to be ruined by the fear of fat. You’re not going to skip the game, but you are going to make some small adjustments to ensure you can still stay on track with your diet and not blow it all watching the Buckeyes blow out their opponents… See what I did there? 😉
First of all, just because you go to a tailgate does not mean you have to eat all the things. However I know it can be difficult and there aren’t usually a lot of good options. So to counteract this we need to have a plan.
Here are four ways to stay on track at your tailgate.
1. Bring your own healthy dish(es) to share
When I go to a party I know it is going to be hard to find foods I can eat and still have the body I want. To solve this problem, I bring my own healthy food that I can share with everyone there. Many people won’t eat it (more for me!) but at least I’m making a nice gesture and covering myself. Better yet, host the party and you can control the menu!
2. Pick your poison
With parties and tailgates there are snack foods, fatty items like bratwurst, and of course, alcohol. It may be tough to avoid all three completely. My advice if you can’t abstain completely is to pick ONE of those things. Which do you like the most? Is it the chips and dip, the beer or the brat? Go in knowing you’re going to allow yourself to enjoy one and skip the other two.
3. Make the game a game
Go with me on this one for a second. While you’re watching the game it can be really easy to mindlessly snack and drink so you don’t know how much you’re consuming. Why not make a game of it to bring your awareness to what you’re putting in your mouth. Each time you have a drink make it last the whole quarter. Or, don’t let yourself get another drink until your team scores (hopefully it isn’t a blow out.) Another idea, pick a different snack item for each quarter instead of indulging in a little of everything the whole game. The best thing about this one is no one else has to know what you’re doing, you can play the game in your head all by yourself!
4. Stay busy
Especially if you don’t care about the game itself. Find something to do that occupies your hands like corn hole, helping the host make food or clean up, find the kids and play games, etc. If you are occupied doing other stuff and not just talking and not watching the game, it leaves eating as the only thing to fill the time.
You’re going to have to go to parties and maybe you love to tailgate. But football season lasts four months so if you don’t play it smart you could blow all your progress and find yourself spending basketball season getting in shape (because who watches basketball, anyway?)
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