With wedding season officially here, whether you’re a bride, a bridesmaid or a guest for the big day, there can be a lot of pressure to be looking and feeling your best. A couple of weeks back I shared some wedding planning tips that I learned from planning my own last year, including a few things I was dedicated to from the get go- like not dieting before my wedding!
I’m also giving away my 4 week meal plan program, The 3-2-1 Method! So make sure to check out the contest details at the bottom of the post!
I get it! In times likes these, the seductive promise of a quick fix can be especially tempting and I’d be lying if I said I was immune to these pressures. BUT I knew that this was a trap I did not want to fall into and for any of you going through the same thing, I’m here to help you avoid it too! This doesn’t just apply to weddings so for any of you who have felt that pull before a beach vacay, family reunion, or any other big life event where you want to be feeling your best, please trust me on this one – there is another way! A way that will help you develop or get back on track with real life healthy eating habits that will work for real life and leave you feeling better not worse!
Ever tried to eat “super clean” (PS- I kind of hate this term! What’s with it?! To me it just feels a bit judgy and guilt inducing. Maybe that’s not how it comes across to everyone but if you feel the same way, feel free to join me in dropping this term from your eating vocab ;)) or committed yourself to salads only, in the hopes of getting in shape for that big event? I can guarantee those cravings became stronger, irritability seemed to come from nowhere and the intentions were short lived.
Why is this? Our bodies are programmed for survival- this means that when our blood sugars get low from going too long without eating, not eating enough or digesting too quickly due to an unbalanced meal – we are programmed to crave refined sugar or fat.
Why? Refined sugars bring our energy back up quickly because it’s already broken down into its simplest form, and fat is more calorie dense- meaning more energy (calories) in less food – so less work for our body to get it. This doesn’t mean fat is a bad thing- a little fat goes a long ways and is important to include in our diet, but when we’re in this survival mode state, it’s the processed foods, and lots of them that we crave to get our energy up quickly and efficiently.
The problem is, we aren’t actually in survival mode, so this often leads to over consuming followed by a feeling of guilt, perpetuating us to continue this cycle of restricting, then overindulging.
Spare yourself the scientific experiment and just eat regularly throughout the day, mostly whole foods, and balanced meals to keep those blood sugars stable.
To get the most bang for your nutritional buck out of your meals and leave you feeling full, energized and satisfied at meals, I talked about the ideal Plate Model a couple of weeks back.
A few key guidelines to keep in mind are
- Fill half of your plate with vegetables first
- Fill one quarter of your plate with protein
- Fill the other quarter with a whole grain or high fiber starch
- Make sure to get some healthy fats in there (EVOO for cooking or a sprinkle of nuts or avocado.)
You know your body best. Use this as a guide and make any adjustments you need. I find for some people, skipping the starch at one meal and adding extra protein helps them feel more full but for others, this can increase sugar cravings because without that bit of slow digesting carbohydrate, their body seems to feel deprived and therefore craves refined sugars to get a hit of energy (bring blood sugars back up).
If you want to take a deeper dive into this, I also shared that I am offering my 4 week meal plan program, The 3-2-1 Method, for 15% off for the month of June! Just enter coupon code BRIDE15 at checkout if you want in 🙂
As promised, here’s a peek into a day in the life of my wedding (UN)-diet. Some of you were asking about timing as well so I’ve included that for you too. It really isn’t much different from what I do on a regular basis. There were probably a few less salt and vinegar chips in there 😉 but I would still have treats when I wanted them.
BREAKFAST (7-7:30 AM)
3 Muffin Tin Fritattas or 2 eggs with ½ -1 cup of sauteed veggies (asparagus, green beans, peppers, whatever you’ve got lying around will work!) + ⅓ avocado and either a piece of sprouted grain toast (I like Silver Hills) or ½ cup of 1% cottage cheese if I’m feeling like a little extra protein boost.
I need a good source of protein in my first meal of the day. Otherwise I end up finding I am hungry too quickly and get distracted from my work.
MORNING SNACK (10 AM)
This is usually on the go so I typically opt for a piece of fruit. Apples are my go to – easy to pack, don’t bruise too easily and give me a little boost of slow digesting carbohydrates for energy. Right now I’m also loving nectarines while they’re in season!
LUNCH (12 or 1 PM)
I love a good hearty salad (not just greens!) or Buddha Bowl for lunch. Usually with a good base of greens (arugula is my fave) about ½ cup of grains, a good 3-4 oz or 1/2 cup of some protein (chicken, lentils or chickpeas) + some fats to finish it off (olive oil, feta cheese, avocado, nuts or seeds) like this Mediterranean Farro and Lentil GRAIN Bowl.
AFTERNOON SNACK (3 or 4PM)
2 Energy balls (I’m loving salted caramel and lemon coconut right now) or 1 cup veggies with 1/4 cup hummus.
DINNER (7-7:30 PM)
Salmon or Turkey Burger (made with about 4 oz of protein) with about 1/3 of an avocado and a big green salad on the side
EVENING SNACK
Depends on the day.
When I eat regularly throughout the day and eat enough, I’m not generally hungry at night. This is also because I eat dinner a bit later- closer to 7 or 7:30. If you are truly hungry at night, do not try to ignore it and go to bed hungry! Have something with a bit of fiber and protein like a small bowl of Greek yogurt with some fruit or nuts and try to it at least and hour or 2 before bedtime.
Going to bed hungry will only disrupt your sleep and guess what- waking up tired will not help! When we’re tired, we produce more ghrelin- our hunger hormone. Makes sense right- we get energy from food and sleep. If we’re lacking one, our body will try to help us make up for it by signaling a need for the other (hungry when tired, sleepy when hungry)
So the next time you’re tempted to diet for a big event, remember my words and just don’t do it!
To see it all in action with step by step prep instructions, try out my free 5 Day Meal Plan! It’s the same plan I followed to keep me sane by saving tons of time grocery shopping, limiting my prep and cooking time and keeping me fueled and ready to go for all the fun stuff!
I have also decided to do a GIVEAWAY for The 321 Method ($147 Value) so you can try out this Un-Dieting method for yourself!
Contest is being held on Instagram. All you have to do to enter is:
- Follow me on Instagram (click here to head over to Insta)
- Like the most recent post
- Tag 2 friends in that post
Entries are unlimited so the more friends you tag, the more entries you get! Contest closes Monday June 26th at 9pm PST.
Here are the details of what you’d win!
Trustworthy Nutrition Information
- Nutrition 101: Micornutrients & Macronutrients- what they are and what they do
- The ideal timing of meals and snacks
- The best combinations of foods to eat for optimal health and weight management
Complete Weekly Meal-Plans (4 weeks)
- Delicious, creative, simplified recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks
- Meals and snacks are dietitian designed to optimize nutrition while filling you up and keeping you full longer, for healthy weight loss and weight management without going hungry and tired
Step By Step Meal Prep Instructions (4 weeks)
- Each weekly meal plan is based on The 3-2-1 Meal Prep Method. This strategy limits weekly meal prep to one hour, allowing for a different 20 minute dinner every night of the week and a leftover portion for lunch (get ready to be the office envy)
Made-For-You Grocery lists (4 weeks)
- Printable ready-to-go grocery lists with the exact amounts of every single item you need for all of your meals and snacks for the entire week.
- Organized by section of the store to maximize time efficiency and get you in and out.
- Streamlined to use virtually everything you buy within the week to limit waste and cut down on your grocery bill.
Cheat Sheets & Guides
- Portion Guide – The portion guide provides suggestions for how to modify this program for different health goals.
- Swap Guide – Each week there are suggestions for best swaps plus a full swap table included in the back to allow for seamless substitutions to suit your personal tastes.
- Leftover Guide – I designed each recipe and weekly meal plan to leave virtually no unused ingredients. For the few that can’t be completely used up, there are instructions on how to store and save them for future meals.
Setting up Your Kitchen
- A guide on how to set up your kitchen with everything from spices and condiments, to kitchen tools and utensils, so that you’re organized and ready to hit the ground running.
Additional Lunch and Snack Recipes
- An additional resource for quick lunches and more creative snack ideas is included.
This program is the complete blueprint for a rinse and repeat system that you can use for life. Specifically formulated to SAVE YOU TIME without sacrificing flavor, quality, or variety. It is designed to keep you on track for the long haul.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this Un-dieting concept and your best tips for staying healthy when prepping for big events. Good Luck with the contest!
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