When it comes to snacks, most people think, “Chips! Cookies! Oh goody—pudding cups!” No. That’s what I call a “snack attack.” Snacks are not meant to be mini-meals. They are supposed to tide you over until your next meal. The silver lining? They can actually help you achieve a slimmer shape. Snacks prevent overeating come mealtime. I honestly snack all day long. It helps me stay satisfied. (Don’t you always make the worst diet decisions when you’re famished? I do.) Needless to say, instead of starving yourself between each meal, have a nutritious snack. It will help get your metabolism pumping and your body burning calories too.

Instead of those chips and pre-made snack packs, opt for one of my favorite healthy snack suggestions:

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Grapes & Grahams: Take one graham cracker and split it into two squares. Spread each square with a light layer of cream cheese. Then sprinkle eight halved grapes over the top. It sounds strange, but it’s so delicious!

Pear/Apple & String Cheese: To curb your sugar cravings, have a piece of fruit with a side of cheesy protein (my favorite type of protein). Cheese is packed with calcium and according to good old WebMD, calcium “can help adjust your body’s fat-burning machinery.”

Greek Yogurt: Have a cup of Greek yogurt. If it’s plain, drizzle a little agave nectar over it and top it off with a few berries or slivered almonds. Greek yogurt is packed with protein, which will keep you feeling full. Plus it has a lot of calcium too!

Hummus & Veggies: This is my favorite snack. The hummus is made from chickpeas, which is rich in protein and fiber. It’s low fat and filling. Perfection!

What’s your favorite snack?

Upload and submit a photo of your favorite healthy snack with a caption explaining the ingredients. I’ll feature my favorite submissions in a follow up post!

XO Lauren

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Whenever the holidays roll around, I get anxious as excessive calories lurk behind every corner. Baked goodies, holiday parties and candy bowls garnish the days between November 25th and January 2nd making this season a particularly difficult time to avoid packing on the pounds. Did you know the average weight gain (for North Americans) between Thanksgiving and New Years is anywhere between one and seven pounds? Yikes! Needless to say, I’ve managed to survive many seasons of culinary indulgence by following the tips listed below in addition to an extra serving of self-control. And I haven’t popped a button on my skinny jeans yet! Here’s what you need to know to survive the holiday consumption marathon:

Schedule your workouts. I know it seems obvious, but many of us muddle our fitness schedules during the winter months. Cold air and an erratic social calendar filled with holiday festivities can really throw off your exercise regime. Nevertheless, this is probably the most important time of year to sweat it out! Make time to work out. Schedule it into your calendar. I cannot stress this enough: Make fitness a priority. Not only will working out help you de-stress, it will also keep your metabolism revved up and ready to handle all of your holiday feasting. To offset increased caloric intake, tack on an extra 10 minutes of cardio to your workout sessions. I also try to walk after big meals like Thanksgiving dinner—it’s amazing what a lap around the neighborhood can do for your digestion and legs!

Start counting. While I’d like to think holiday treats are magically sprinkled with non-fattening fairy dust, the calories are unfortunately still there. Darn it! Since it’s easy to forget of what you’ve eaten, keep track by adding calories on the calculator of your phone or with one of the many calorie-tracking apps. I’ve never been a fan of counting calories, but it really helps keep holiday binging in perspective. When appetizers are in the mix, keep the leftover toothpicks in your hand or on your plate so you have a better idea of how many you have eaten. Just because they’re small doesn’t mean the calories are smaller too! The bottom line: Be aware of how much you are putting in your mouth.

Don’t go hungry. Hunger leads us to do crazy things: Binge on chocolate-covered gummy bears, down a 700-calorie soft pretzel as a snack or absentmindedly eat three cookies instead of one. Don’t let yourself become ravenous, ladies! When you go gift shopping, pack a healthy snack such as trail mix or a granola bar to stave off mid-day hunger. We all know the food court isn’t going to do your waistline any favors. Additionally don’t show up hungry either. If you’re going to a holiday fete, have a healthy snack before heading out the door to avoid gorging on the cookie platter upon your arrival.

Drink wisely. The holidays bring out all the good stuff that’s not-so-good for your figure such as hot cocoa, whipped cream, specialty cocktails, Baileys Irish Cream coffee (yum) and open bars (dangerous). While wining and dining is fun, flex your self-control by either limiting yourself or making tradeoffs. If you’re going to have that delicious cup of hot chocolate, skip the peppermint bark—and voila, you have traded off. As for alcoholic libations, treat yourself to one specialty drink. Instead of refilling with a second, stick to low calorie drinks such as vodka-water with lime for the remainder of the night. In between drinks, have a glass of water. Drinking too much can lead to eating too much. Keep you inhibitions in check by pacing yourself. Finally, whether you're sipping on the sweet side or treating yourself to a cocktail, it’s especially important to stay hydrated with water. People who drink more water, consume less food, which means less calories. Before you eat anything, have one tall glass of water. I promise, this is one of my favorite tricks.

Mind your PC. No, I don’t mean Paper Crown (although you should check out the holiday collection). I’m talking about portion control. When you pile your plate at the buffet, remember where all that food is going. It’s essential for energy, but what about the overflow? That goes straight to your hips and thighs. Be vigilant to only eat when you are actually hungry. If you’re unsure, have a glass of water and see how you feel after. Ideally, you should aim to fill 40% of your plate with complex carbs such as vegetables or fruits. The other 40% should be a lean protein (that’s turkey—without the skin). And the remaining 20% of your plate may be dedicated to fats like dessert, butter or oils. (Remember to eat slowly and chew.) Seconds are very tempting this time of year. Before heading back for round two, drink a glass of water and wait a few minutes. More often than not, you will realize you’re already full. Instead of another helping, save room for dessert! If you’re especially concerned about gaining weight, use a smaller plate to keep holiday gloat at bay.

I hope you find these suggestions helpful! At the end of the day it is all about willpower. According to Psychology Today, “willpower is like a muscle.” Working it regularly can strengthen it. By flexing your willpower you will increase your ability to control yourself. But, like a muscle, willpower can also get fatigued! This is the perfect excuse to indulge from time to time. After all, it is the holiday season so enjoy yourself!

Do you have a helpful tactic for avoiding excess holiday pounds?

Share you best tips in the comments below. I’ll feature my favorite five suggestions in a follow up post.

XO Lauren

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We’ve heard it a million times over: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But how many of you actually believe this old adage? Well ladies, it’s time to embrace this saying because it might just be the key to overcoming your diet woes. 

Breakfast literally means, “breaking the fast” since it’s the first meal you eat after sleeping, and therefore fasting (unless you sleep walk and eat… which sounds scary) all night. After this “fast,” we need to nourish our hungry brain and body with nutrients (a.k.a. breakfast). 

According to various articles I have read, breakfast has many health benefits. Based on the Mayo Clinic’s article, Healthy Breakfast: Quick, Flexible Options to Grab at Home, those who eat breakfast are more likely to consume more vitamins and minerals. Breakfast eaters also experience “better concentration and productivity throughout the morning” along with a more positive mood. But most importantly, those who eat breakfast typically eat less fat throughout the day. Starting out your day with breakfast will stabilize hunger and cravings later in the day. Eating breakfast helps prevent binging, eating too many sweets and making unhealthy diet choices because your body is stabilized with the appropriate fuel.  

So what does this all mean for your waistline? In a nutshell, eating breakfast will control your appetite while also revving up your metabolism, which will help burn more calories throughout the day. 

I usually have an egg white veggie omelet for breakfast. If you would like, I’ll do a post with the recipe!

In the meantime, what do you usually have for breakfast? 

XO Lauren 

P.S. Click here to get the recipe for the dish featured in the photo I used. 
 

Source: Mayo Clinic

Photo: bkfst.tumblr

Don’t get me wrong, I love to commit a little carbicide* here and there by enjoying a bowl of pasta or a slice of pizza. Unfortunately, eating carb-heavy meals regularly isn’t exactly figure friendly—especially during the summer when your next bikini outing could be any minute (queue horror music).

One of my favorite slim secrets was something a fellow intern taught me back in college. She suggested that I swap my pasta for spinach when I am trying to cut back on carbs. The idea is: keep everything else in the recipe the same and just make “the spinach swap.” When I tried it, I was more than pleased with the result. It’s really delicious, especially if you add in extra vegetables and go with a lighter sauce. The swap totally hit the spot. Spinach pseudo-pasta helped me fulfill my pasta craving without the carbs. But, if you absolutely need the noodles, quarter the amount of pasta and substitute the rest with spinach.

This trend has really caught on. In fact, I’ve discovered a few restaurants around LA that offer the spinach for pasta substitute.

In the end, just because it’s bikini season doesn’t mean we have to completely sacrifice our carboliscious cravings... We must simply make a few minor meal adjustments.

Do you have any Slim Tip swap suggestions? If so, share them in the comments below.

XO Lauren

*Carbicide {car-beh-side} noun 1. The act of metaphorically ending one’s life due to overindulging in carbohydrates. Origin: Bruno. Related Words: pizza, pasta, bread basket, all-nighter

P.S. For more diet friendly dining, check out my blog on summer salads by clicking here!

UPDATE: I noticed a lot of you asking how I prepare the spinach... I actually sauté it in a little olive oil and then mix it in with the rest of the veggies, sauce and such. Just make sure you use a lot of spinach since it cooks down quite a bit.

Photo: weheartit