Dr. Z on holidays - There is never a perfect time for a diet. You'll always have to make sacrifices... or do you?

You know, dieting isn't only about calorie reduction. It's also about giving the body the proper nutrition it demands and needs. What I'm trying to say is that you don't have to go without. Calorie replacement can be as good as calorie reduction. If you're on holiday, treat yourself. Order yourself a nice steak and a couple veggies. Or a nice piece of fish and some veggies. If you allocate more of you budget to food, you'll be surprised at how tasty clean eating can be.

That's one thing I've learned in the last 5-10 years. I've learned to make the food I eat a priority, and consequently, I'll spend more money on it. If you're out for a good meal, there won't be a bottle of ketchup on the table, am I right? The reason is because you're eating good whole food items. If you have to put ketchup on it, it's NOT worth eating. Think about it.

What about alcohol? This get's a bit tricky, but there are some cheats for it. For ideas in regard to how to imbibe, see the lesson alcohol.

Kylene's tip

If you are on phase 2 around any holiday, make sure you plan your meals so you have some really good choices to keep you from eating off plan. If you are going to a family get together, make sure your bring something along you can eat. I always take a vegetable tray. That way I can graze and keep myself full, and it helps keep hunger away.

Vacations are a little harder. You are going to want to plan, plan, plan. I looked up a restaurant's menu on line to make sure they had something that I could fit in my calories for the day. Some days I wound up eating fast food and I would order a grilled chicken sandwich and throw away the bun.