1. Drink 3 liters of water per day during the holiday season. It will help you stay full and hydrated, both of which can ward off unhealthy cravings.
2. Eat before you go to a party.
3. Keep a bar or another IP snack with you in your purse or jacket pocket if you feel you may need to snack at a party. It’s better to have two restricted foods than it is to cheat with a sugary treat.
4. Get plenty of rest during the holidays since a lack of sleep causes cravings for carbohydrates and can interfere with fat metabolism.
5. Take an IP-approved food to parties, such as a veggie tray, meat tray, shish kabobs, cauliflower mashed potatoes, IP Deviled Eggs, or IP Chocolate Cake.
6. Have a holiday meal, not a holiday week! Try to stick with proteins and veggies, but if you absolutely can’t resist, pick your favorite carbohydrate and have TWO bites.
7. ABSOLUTELY NO ALCOHOL IS ALLOWED! It could cause a severe incidence of hypoglycemia and make you pass out.
8. Remember, the holiday is about RELATIONSHIPS, NOT FOOD! The focus should be on spending time with those you love, not eating.
9. Get creative with using IP products in place of traditional holiday fixings.
10. If you host dinner, have plenty of “to go” bags that you can use to send leftovers home with every guest so that ALL leftovers are out of the house by the end of the day.
11. Avoid people who trigger you to eat, such as a family member who is critical of you or anyone you find draining to be around.
12. Make yourself an IP “mocktail” so you feel like you’re getting a treat and people won’t ask why you aren’t drinking.
13. Make a plan for any holiday event or party that you have to attend so that you know EXACTLY what you are going to eat. Be prepared!!! Have an extra IP product in your purse and/or an extra Walden Farms to go packet.
14. Remember that you don’t have to go to every single party that you are invited to.
15. Stay busy at the parties you do go to. Offer to help the host seat guests, wash dishes, play games with the kids, etc.
16. Look at old pictures to remind yourself why you are doing this program. Review your personal goals as a reminder.
17. You may practice the concepts of Phase 2 on this one day where you can have your own protein at lunch and dinner.
18. Swap your lunch and dinner if you need to.
19. If someone asks you why are not eating and drinking everything, DO NOT SAY YOU ARE ON A DIET! This inevitably leads to them encouraging you to “just enjoy the holiday and restart your diet tomorrow.” Instead, say you are following a doctor’s treatment plan to stabilize your blood sugar.
20. Remember, this is ONLY ONE DAY that you have to sacrifice for a LIFETIME of holidays when you can eat what you want to eat after you reach Phase 4.
21. If you are going to someone else’s house, offer to bring a salad and a side or dessert. Make sure both are IP compliant.
22. Be creative when you make your IP compliant dessert. It’s ok to use flavorings. For instance, you can use cherry flavoring for your vanilla pudding.