The Secret to Guilt-Free Holiday Indulgence
Can you enjoy holiday meals and stick to your health goals? Yes, you can—and in today’s episode of Embrace Your Real, I’m breaking down exactly how. Join me as I dive into balancing festive indulgence with mindful eating using the power of macro counting. No more all-or-nothing mindsets—this is about flexibility, balance, and enjoying every bite guilt-free.
As I we dive deep into this, you’ll learn...
✔️ How to plan ahead by checking menus and pre-logging meals.
✔️ Why prioritizing protein can help keep you full and avoid holiday overeating.
✔️ The importance of ditching meal-skipping and enjoying your celebrations.
I also discuss:
(02:27) Pre-Logging Meals for Macro Balance
(06:48) Holiday Meal Tracking Made Simple
(12:39) - Embracing Authenticity for Confidence
And more...
If you want more from me, be sure to check out...
Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie
Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/
Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/
Website: www.juliealedbetter.com
Get my eBook: FREE Macro Counting Ebook
Amazon Storefront: Julie Ledbetter's Amazon Page
Transcript:
[00:00:00] Hey, beautiful human. Can I steal five minutes of your time? I have something super important to share with you, but I promise I'll be really quick. You're listening to my weekly bonus episode of Embrace Your Real with Me. Do I better? I'm about to give you a quick tip for building your. [00:00:14][14.4]
[00:00:14] Confidence, honoring. [00:00:15][0.7]
[00:00:15] Your body and unconditionally. [00:00:16][0.7]
[00:00:17] Loving. [00:00:17][0.0]
[00:00:17] Your authentic self. Stay tuned. If you're ready to embrace a real. Let's get it. Let's go. [00:00:22][4.9]
[00:00:31] How low. And welcome back to another bonus episode on the Racer podcast. The holiday season is here. There are so many things that come along with that, right? It's the delicious food, the family gatherings, the festive treats. And if you're working towards how the mini school is, you might be wondering, okay, how the heck do I stay on track without feeling deprived or worse, like I'm ruining all of my hard work? I've got great news for you. You can absolutely enjoy the holidays and stay consistent with your goals. Counting macros is not about restriction. It's really about balance and flexibility. Like you get to savor the foods that you love while keeping track with your progress. And in my last episode, if you just tuned in to Monday's episode, I dove into nine ways Why Macro accounting can help you get through the holiday season without restriction and help you really enjoy it to the fullest while still working towards your goals. If you miss that episode, I will be sure to link it. It's episode 499 in the show notes that you can easily go. Tune in to that next. But like, what does that really look like in practice? You understand the benefits of macro counting through the holidays, but like, what are the tips and tricks that you really need to actually help you do it? And so that's why in today's episode I'm going to kind of go through the practicality of how you can actually count macros during the holidays. Number one is plan ahead for holiday events. So the key to staying consistent through the holidays is really having a plan in place before you go. Like before you go to the event. So start by previewing the menu if you can. If you know what's being served, you can kind of map out how to fit these foods into your day while still hitting your goals. If it's not at a restaurant, then don't be shy to ask the host. Like what kind of food is going to be there. If you feel weird asking that, just ask like, Do you want me to bring a dish to or, you know, I was thinking about bringing something and that way you kind of have a better idea of like what food is going to be there and you can easily plan ahead. The next step is to kind of take it a step further and pre log your meals in your tracking app. So logging ahead, it really does remove the guesswork and helps you balance your macros with ease. So if you know you're going to eat some pie or cookies like log that first thing in the morning. And here's the thing. It's not going to be a perfect calculation, right? Just go on Google and say, you know, there's going to be chocolate chip cookies there or, you know, there's going to be pumpkin pie there or, you know, there's going to be X, Y and Z, Whatever it is, you fill in the blank, then you can easily go into Google and just find like an estimate of what a, you know, generous serving size is for that food. Again, it doesn't have to be perfect. This is not about perfection. This is about consistency. Right. And this is just going to help you save room by keeping your earlier meals lighter in carbs and fats. Like with a little preparation, you can still enjoy the festivities without completely going off track. Number two, prioritize protein. I know I give this tip a lot, but it's really it's a good reminder to have honestly, protein can be one of the trickiest macros to hit during the holidays, but it's also one of the most important. Not only does it keep you feeling full, but it also supports your goals, making it a priority during the busy season. Right? Start your day with a super high protein packed breakfast to set the tone. What if you have like 50g of protein in your first meal that's going to make you feeling like trying to hit your macros in protein for the rest of the day? So much easier. And this can be as simple as mixing, you know, 30g of a protein powder into a cup of Greek yogurt. Or better yet, if you have not checked out my protein shake that I've been having, it's 55g of protein. And I'm telling you, it is so delicious. It's where I get my caffeine. It's where I get my protein. I have it every single morning. There's collagen in there. It is amazing. So go to my Instagram. Julie A lot better. A is an Apple Ledbetter and you'll see a highlight story where it says protein shake and check. Check that out. I kind of walk you through how I make that, but if you're attending a gathering, consider bringing like a protein rich dish to share, like turkey chili or shrimp cocktail or Greek yogurt dip. And at these meals or friend family holiday parties, I just want you to focus on your protein first. Like find whatever protein options they have, whether that's deviled eggs, sausage, cheese, and then kind of go for the treats that you want. This is not only going to help you feel fuller faster, but it's also going to ensure that you hit your protein goals and it's going to allow you to feel fuller. So you're likely not going to indulge as much. Number three, do not skip meals to save up. Please, please, please do not do this. This is what I used to do when I was younger and it was literally was and is a recipe for disaster. Like skipping meals to save up for big holiday events might seem like a smart idea, but oftentimes backfires. And it backfires very badly because you're arriving overly hungry, which can lead to overeating and feeling out of control around. You like you want to eat every and anything in sight and you lose control of the choices that you're going to make to actually feel your best. So instead, before heading out. Load up on protein. I mentioned this last in the last episode, but have a protein shake. Eat a slice of, you know, chicken breast or grab a protein bar or have, you know, ground turkey, stir fry, whatever it is. This is not only going to curb your hunger so that you can be more in control of your food choices, but it's also going to make sure that you hit your protein goals. You'll be able to enjoy the event without feeling super, super hungry and overdoing it. Number four Use portion awareness. Holiday foods are meant to be enjoyed, but that does not mean that you need to pile on your plate sky high. Right? A simple way to manage your portions is by using your hands as a guide, a palm sized portion of protein, a cupped hand of carbs, a thumb sized portion of fats. It's a great kind of starting point. And I did a whole episode on this. If you want to learn more, it's episode to 17 How to use hand Portions to Reach Your Goals. I'll take it in the show notes that you can easily listen to that after this. But if you want to try everything, just take small portions of multiple dishes to get a taste without overloading. And instead of grazing from the serving trays, plate your food first. Don't grab straight off the tray. Seeing everything laid out on your plate makes it so much easier to stay mindful and in control of your portions while still savoring the flavors of the season. Number five Chocolate. You can holiday meals, like I mentioned earlier, aren't always ideal for precise tracking, and that's completely okay. The goal is to do your best with what's available without stressing over perfection. Doing it imperfectly is going to be a heck of a lot better and more effective than not doing it at all. Right. So start by tracking the obvious items like the turkey, the mashed potatoes, the slice of pie. All those are easier to estimate and for the homemade dishes or treats, just to try to find something similar as possible in your tracking app as a guide or online to get as close as possible. If trying to track everything feels overwhelming, then just focus on the essentials hitting your protein target. That alone is going to help you so much more than not tracking at all. Number six Make room for your favorite. So the beauty of counting macros is that no food is off limits. Like I mentioned so many times, you can enjoy your favorite holiday treats with intention and still stay on track. So start by choosing your must haves, the foods and the treats that you dream about all year round. Then skip the filler foods that you don't really love and don't miss if they're not there like store bought cookies or rolls or generic sides or foods that you actually just don't really enjoy and instead save room for the dishes that truly bring you joy when it's time to indulge, savor every bite by eating slowly and mindfully. Not only will you enjoy your favorites more, but you'll likely feel more satisfied without overdoing it. And like I always say, eating ten cookies doesn't mean that you're going to enjoy the cookies ten times more. Oftentimes, 1 or 2 will bring you the most joy. Anything more is just going to make you feel worse. And same goes for second and third and fourth and so on. Number seven, stay hydrated and prioritize sleep if you can. It's easy to overlook the basics during the holiday hassle, but really staying hydrated and getting enough rest, those are essential for feeling your best. Lack of sleep really does heighten cravings, and being dehydrated increases your feelings of hunger together. Those are not a good mix. So really try to make it a priority to drink water throughout the day. Aim for at least at least half of your body weight in ounces. And if you're enjoying alcoholic drinks, really try to alternate wine with a glass of water to stay balanced. Don't skimp on sleep either. A lack of rest will trigger cravings and leave you feeling drained. Try to aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep if you can again, totally understand everybody. Season of life, I suppose. Save your new mama. But when you have at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep, you are going to feel energized and avoid those unnecessary cravings. Spikes Trust me when I say that these small habits can really make a big difference in how you feel. And last but not least, give yourself grace. The holidays are about connection. They're about joy. They're about enjoying the moment, not perfection. So remember, this one indulgent meal is not going to ruin your progress. What matters is consistency over time. If you go over your macros, just get back on track the next meal. And last but not least, sometimes it's okay to choose memories over macros. Just find the right balance that helps you feel your best. So let me quickly recap the eight hacks to avoid overindulging during the holidays that I mentioned. Number one, plan ahead for holiday events. Number two, prioritize protein. Number three, don't skip meals to, quote, save up. Number four, use portion awareness. Number five, track when you can. Number six, make room for your favorites. Number seven, stay hydrated and prioritize sleep. And last but not least, number eight. Give yourself. Race. If you have not already gotten your macros calculated or counted and you want to learn more, head over to macro counting made simple.com to get your macros calculated right now. I really designed this online academy to give you everything that you need to feel confident in your choices to stay on track with your goals and still enjoy all of the holiday foods that you love. I will teach you everything that you need and exactly how to make macro accounting simple and sustainable so that you can ditch this all or nothing mindset for good. Here's what you can expect if you join the macro economy. Simple Online Academy number one. No more Starting over in January. Imagine heading into the new Year already feeling strong, confident and on track. No regrets, no guilt, no feeling like you have to undo weeks of overindulging. Number two, you'll be able to say goodbye to yo yo dieting. You're going to learn how to enjoy your favorite holiday treats while staying balance so you can finally break free from that cycle of restriction and overindulgence. And last but not least, number three. You're going to build habits that last a lifetime. This is not about quick fixes or temporary solutions. It's about creating a flexible, sustainable approach to food that fits into your life. You're going to learn how to navigate holiday parties, family gatherings, and even those tempting leftovers with confidence. You do not have to give up the foods that you love. You just need the tools to make them work for you. So if you're ready to make this holiday season different, I'd love for you to join me inside the macro accounting Meet Simple Online Academy. Let's ditch the guilt, build lifelong habits and set you up for success starting right now. Head over to macro accounting made simple.com to gain access and I cannot wait to help you make this year your most balanced empowered holiday season yet. That is all that I have for today's episode. I hope that you found this helpful. I would love to hear an moment, so be sure to screenshot this and post it up in your store. You can also tag me Julia. Why? I'd better tag embrace your account. We love connecting you guys, but that is all that I have for today. I love you so much. I mean it. I'll talk to you next time. [00:12:29][718.1]
[00:12:39] All right, sister. That's all I got for you today. But I have two things that I need you to do. First thing, if you are not already following me on the gram. Be sure to do so, Julie. A lot. [00:12:49][10.6]
[00:12:50] Better. Yes. It's women in the. [00:12:51][1.2]
[00:12:51] Middle for that Daily Post check. Real talk, healthy tips and tricks and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute world. [00:13:08][17.5]
[00:13:09] And I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful. [00:13:12][2.8]
[00:13:12] Women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely. [00:13:15][2.8]
[00:13:16] Confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. [00:13:23][7.2]
[00:13:24] So go out there and embrace real because you're worth it. [00:13:24][0.0]