Hope everyone had a nice Passover and Easter! For those of you who are watching your weight, it is tough to stay on your “diet” during a holiday since so much of this day revolves around food. For those of you who stuffed yourself on Passover or Easter  - or perhaps the entire weekend - it is time to get back on the plan.  This one day, or days, of overeating can cause some people to feel out of control. The key is to get back on track and not gain “eating momentum”.  (pic is food served at Passover)

Here are some tips to get back on track:
1. Don’t beat yourself up for eating more than you planned! This is the worst thing you can do as it usually leads to a hopeless feeling which will likely contribute to even more eating. Let it go and get back to your usual diet plan.

2. For those people who weigh themselves, it might be a good idea to avoid the scale for a few days. Even one day of overeating can cause a 2-3 pound weight increase on the scale. While part of this gain may be due to fat storage, the majority is fluid retention from the extra carbohydrates and sodium. Here is the math: You need to consume an extra 3500 calories on top of your maintenance calorie level in order to gain one pound on the scale. Your maintenance calorie level will vary widely based on your age, weight and activity, however an average calorie level is ~ 1800 calories for a  women and 2100 for a man.  So let’s say the scale showed a 2 pound weight gain the day after Passover or Easter. Does this mean you consumed an extra 7000 calories that day? I doubt it! A woman would have had to have eaten 8,000 calories (1800 + 7000) and man would have had to eaten 9100 calories (2100 + 7000) in that one day. 

3. Add in a few extra long sessions of exercise. Not only will this burn off some of the holiday calories, it will help you feel better physically and psychologically.

4. For those of you who really overdid it and want a little jump start diet after your holiday gorge, try a lower carb low sodium diet for 2-3 days. This will help you shed water weight as well as some fat. While I usually don’t recommend rapid weight loss or really low carb diets, there is no danger in following this type of plan for a few days. It can be motivating to see the scale drop by several pounds. You would then ease into a more realistic eating plan.

Sample meals for 1200 calories:                                                             

Breakfast: 170-250 calories  (pick one):
a. egg whites with veggies
b. one slice of whole grain toast with 1 T. peanut butter
c. 1 cup cottage cheese with 1/2 cup fruit

Snack: 80 calories  (pick one):
a. 1/2 oz nuts such as 12 almonds, 20 pistachios. 14 peanuts, 9 cashews
b. a string cheese
c. piece of fruit

Lunch: 400 - 450 calories (pick one):
a. 5 oz grilled chicken on a salad, 2 cups assorted veggies, 1 T. oil and unlimited vinegar
b. 5 oz grilled salmon or skinless poultry and steamed veggies
c. egg white omelet with veggies

Snack: 70 - 100 calories  (pick one):
a. piece of fruit
b. string cheese
c. nonfat yogurt
d. 1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese
e. 1/2 oz. nuts as above

Dinner : 450-500 calories
5 oz lean meat, fish or skinless poultry, grilled or baked plain, no sauce with unlimited veggies, preferably steamed plain, salad, 1 T. oil somewhere in the meal

If you want an after dinner snack, move the morning or afternoon snack to this time

In addition: Drink at least 10 cups of water. No alcohol. No bread or other starch (except as allowed on meal plan).

For those of you following the Slim Down For Spring Weight Loss Program, get back on track with your food records if you slacked off!

Check my blog for more practical tips for "girls and guys on the go"  http://citygirlbites.com/blog/