Spring is here, and running season is underway. Race
participants are exercising extreme devotion to train for everything from their
first 5K fun runs to marathons, triathlons, and ultra endurance events. Enter
the Easter holiday. Here come the chocolate bunnies, sugar-glazed hams, and
jelly beans in every conceivable color and flavor. Uh-oh. There goes the
running season diet plan.
This need not be so. Why let a little holiday revelry derail
one’s personal fitness and workout goals? Consider these 12 practical ways to
keep fitness goals going, even during the delightful Easter holiday season.
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1. Banish the basket
of treats.
Sure, the Easter Bunny leaves candy in all sorts of spots
each year. But that’s not a mandate to gorge. Why not pass that stuff around or
donate some of it to a food pantry? Chocolate lovers might choose to freeze it
for small portion post-race rewards throughout the season.
Here’s a bonus tip: More than a few runners stash a few of
those no-fat jelly beans, gummy candies, or tiny Tootsie Rolls for mid-race or
long-run training quick-energy treats. These morsels may be more agreeable to
tender tummies than lots of the popular goo gel products.
2. Choose snug
clothing for the Easter gathering.
This one of the oldest tricks in the books for
weight-conscious folks. Baggy clothes seem somehow to encourage overeating.
Tighter waistbands remind us not to overindulge, simply because we become
uncomfortable. Save the stretchy clothes for running. It works.
3. Take a
diet-friendly dish to share.
In many families and social circles, it’s customary for
Easter guests to contribute dishes to pass at these holiday gatherings. Why not
offer to take a vegetable tray, fruit platter, a big green salad, or another
fitness-minded offering?
4. Don’t arrive
hungry for the Easter feast.
Showing up for an Easter brunch, buffet, or dinner with a
growling, empty stomach only adds to the temptation to overdo it. Eating a
smart meal earlier in the day can help to stave off such temptations.
5. Go unleaded for
the day.
It’s amazing how many calories a couple of alcoholic drinks,
glasses of wine, or refills of sugary soda can add to one’s daily total.
Choosing water instead leaves lots of room for yummy eating.
6. Pick smaller
plates for the meal.
This tried-and-true visual trick still works, especially at
a serve-yourself meal. Larger plates tempt us all to take more of everything.
7. Major on favorite
foods in the buffet line.
Weight-conscious folks tend to understand the advantage of
surveying all of the food choices at a meal before choosing which to sample and
which to enjoy in bigger helpings. It’s a juggling act. If dessert will bring a
favorite pie or cake, one might grab a smaller scoop of cheesy macaroni or
mashed potatoes to keep the carbohydrate counts down.
Hey, no one says everyone has to
load up on the marshmallow/gelatin ring, just because it's there.
8. Take miniature
portions, if needed, to be polite.
Did the mother-in-law make her famous rhubarb pie? Did
Grampa bring a boatload of baked beans with bacon? What if someone hates
rhubarb or can’t stand baked beans? A tiny taste won’t ruin the diet or poison
the palate.
9. Chatter more than
chewing.
Remember how Grandma always said, “Don’t talk with your
mouth full”? It’s hard to overeat, if one is exercising the gift of great conversation.
10. Get up, and clear
the table.
Anyone who jumps up to take plates into the kitchen after
the Easter feast can safely stow his or her own unwanted portions without
awkwardness or rudeness. A person can push food around on the plate at the table,
failing to finish everything, without offending the host or hostess.
Plus, the help is usually welcomed, and it’s a handy way to
add some steps to one’s day.
11. Offer to help
with the dishes and cleanup.
Again, assisting is polite and generally appreciated. It’s a
great way to step away from the temptation to nibble on additional portions,
and dishwashing can burn a few calories.
12. Beware of
leftovers.
Post-holiday leftovers can extend high-calorie temptations
into the whole week (or more) after Easter. Hosts can minimize this by passing
along take-home packages to guests or freezing portions for future use.
Even those who practice these Easter weight gain prevention
tips may find their calorie, carb, and fat intake increased a bit during the
holiday celebrations. But that’s nothing a few longer training runs cannot fix.
What’s more, this spring holiday also marks the end of the Halloween /
Thanksgiving / Christmas / New Year’s / Valentine’s / Easter holiday food
marathon. (Maybe that’s something worth celebrating too!)
