Welcome to February! This may be the time of year you are finally ready for some post-holiday weight loss. I have been a health and wellness coach for almost 7 years now and a trend I have noticed over these years is folks want to get healthy after the Super Bowl, they start to come out of the holiday fog and think “dang…it’s almost time for bathing suit season” (depending on where you live). My hope is this blog will serve you with some tangible tips to get healthy after the holidays, not to just lose weight. Creating healthy routines helps us to maintain our health throughout the holidays versus punishing ourselves afterward with the thoughts of “now I have to lose my holiday weight again.” So my FIRST TIP is, to shift the mindset to “How can I create a healthier routine for myself?” not “How can I lose weight after Christmas?” Do you see the difference?
Post-Holiday Weight Loss Tips
- Start your morning with an 8oz glass of water
- Actually write down healthy habits into your schedule like a date with yourself (a walk, a workout, reading personal development, cooking)
- Meal Plan/Prep (for some folks cooking all your food for the week will feel overwhelming, so try planning instead. Just have your recipes ready and the groceries in the fridge)
- Find an accountability partner, group, and/or COACH!!
Recipes For Losing Weight After the Holiday
Every week in my Virtual Wellness Studio my clients get new healthy recipes from me and my team to follow! I am sharing some of those here with you to jump-start your journey to a healthy lifestyle.
Breakfast Recipes:
Multi-Grain Banana Pancakes
Picture by Beach Body
Ingredients:
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin organic coconut oil, melted
- 1 cup reduced-fat (2%) milk
- ¼ cup reduced-fat (2%) plain yogurt
- 1 large very ripe banana, mashed
- 1 Tbsp. raw honey
- ½ cup whole-wheat flour
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup dry rolled oats
- 3 Tbsp. wheat bran
- 2 Tbsp. chopped raw almonds
- 1½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 4 tsp. pure maple syrup
Instructions:
- Combine egg, oil, milk, yogurt, banana, and honey in a medium bowl; whisk to blend. Set aside.
- Combine flours, oats, bran, almonds, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; mix well.
- Add flour mixture to egg mixture; mix until just blended.
- Heat large nonstick skillet, lightly coated with spray, on medium-high heat.
- Spoon about ¼ cup batter into skillet for each pancake; cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until bubbles form on top.
- Flip with a spatula and cook for 30 seconds.
- Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Serve pancakes topped evenly with maple syrup.
Turkey and Brussels Sprouts Frittata
Ingredients:
Picture by Beach Body
- 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ¼ tsp sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
- 3 cups Brussels sprouts, finely chopped
- 2¼ cups roasted turkey breast, chopped (approx. 12 oz.)
- 2 Tbsp fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, chopped
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to broil.
- Combine eggs and salt in a medium mixing bowl; whisk to blend. Set aside.
- Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick oven-safe skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add shallots and Brussels sprouts; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until shallots are translucent.
- Pour egg mixture and turkey into skillet; cook, stirring frequently with a rubber spatula, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the egg mixture has set on the bottom and begins to set on top.
- Place skillet in oven. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned and fluffy.
- Cut into 6 servings.
- Sprinkle with parsley; serve immediately.
Recipe Notes:
- Frittata can be made the evening before and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
- Heat one serving at a time on the stove-top or in a microwave.
- You can substitute chopped, cooked Brussels sprouts for fresh ones.
Healthy Lunch Recipes:
Chicken, Apple, and Sweet Potato Salad
Picture by Beach Body
Ingredients:
- 6 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. stoneground mustard
- 1 Tbsp. raw honey
- 6½ tsp. olive oil, divided use
- 8 oz. raw chicken breast, boneless, skinless, sliced
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled, sliced
- 1 medium apple, peeled, cored, sliced
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 head green leaf lettuce, torn or chopped
- 2 Tbsp. crumbled feta cheese
- 2 Tbsp. raw pecan pieces, toasted
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 425° F.
- Combine vinegar, mustard, and honey in a medium bowl; whisk to blend.
- Slowly add 6 tsp. oil, whisking continuously until blended.
- Place one-third vinegar mixture in a resealable bag. Add chicken; mix well. Marinate, refrigerate, for at least 2 hours. Set aside the remaining vinegar mixture for salad dressing.
- While chicken is marinating, combine sweet potato, apple, cinnamon, and remaining ½ tsp. oil in a medium bowl; toss to blend. Place on a baking sheet lightly coated with spray. Bake for 10 minutes, turn, bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender. Set aside to cool.
- Remove chicken from marinade; discard used marinade.
- Place chicken on a baking sheet lightly coated with spray. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside to cool.
- Combine lettuce, sweet potato mixture, chicken, cheese, and pecans; toss gently to blend.
- Drizzle with remaining dressing; toss gently to blend.
- Divide evenly between six serving plates.
Dinner Recipes:
Pad Thai With Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients:
- 1 medium spaghetti squash about 3 lbs.
- 2 Tbsp. tamarind paste or rice wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
- 1 tsp. raw honey
Picture by Beach Body
- 2-4 Tbsp. water
- 12 oz. extra-firm tofu, cut into small cubes
- 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 8 tsp. peanut oil, divided use
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup fresh bean sprouts
- 4 medium green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 Tbsp. chopped peanuts
- Lime wedges
- Cilantro sprigs
- Crushed red pepper
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Place squash on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Poke squash 2 or 3 times with a fork. Bake for 60 to 80 minutes. Cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Remove seeds. Scrape flesh into stringy noodles. Set aside.
- To make the sauce, heat tamarind paste, fish sauce, honey, and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add additional water if the sauce is too tart. Set aside.
- Coat tofu in cornstarch in a small bowl; mix well.
- Heat a large wok (or skillet) over high heat.
- Add 2 tsp. oil, swirling to cover the surface of the pan. Add tofu; cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until all sides of tofu are brown. Remove tofu from the pan and place it on a large plate. Set aside.
- Add 2 tsp. oil to pan; cook, over high heat, swirling to cover the surface of the pan. Add onions; cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until onions are light golden brown. Remove from pan; place on a plate with tofu. Set aside.
- Add 2 tsp. oil to pan; cook, over high heat, swirling to cover the surface of the pan. Add eggs; cook over medium heat. Do not stir. As eggs set, lift edges, letting uncooked portions flow underneath, creating a very thin omelet. When eggs are set, cut them with your spatula. Remove eggs from pan and place on a plate with tofu and onions. Set aside.
- Add remaining 2 tsp. oil to the pan, swirling to cover the surface of the pan. Add garlic; cook, over medium-high heat, for 1 minute.
- Add spaghetti squash, spreading squash into a single layer; cook for 30 seconds, stir and make another single layer. Repeat this 3 to 6 times, cooking for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until squash is warm and golden brown.
- Add sauce; mix well.
- Add bean sprouts and green onions; mix well.
- Add tofu mixture; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until well mixed and heated through.
- Transfer to a large serving platter. Top with peanuts, lime wedges, cilantro, and crushed red pepper. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes:
- If you can’t find the tamarind paste, you can substitute rice wine vinegar.
- Thai fish sauce is Nam Pla, but you can use another kind if you have it.
If you feel like you are wanting more recipes, tips, and tricks on mental health, mindset, relationships, and a roadmap to living your healthiest life, I have many more tips and tools for your toolbox where those came from. All of my meal plans include access to hundreds of recipes and short, easy, all levels workouts. If you have any specific recipes you would like or fitness program questions, always feel free to reach out to me. My mindset work is all-encompassing and can help you release trauma abs roadblocks to ensure a more balanced and joyful life. Thanks for reading. I hope this information was useful and finds you in a space of the heart. I’m just me, Sarah Roberts (Savino), MSW, RYT200, TBB Coach founder of team Indie Sols, figuring out what works for me and sharing it with you in hopes that it will make some positive changes for you as well!
– Sarah Savino is my recommended Wellness, Mindset and Nutrition Coach who resides in Colorado but has a community of clients she guides and manages nationally. She has her frequent retreats that her clients are encouraged but not required to attend and someone who knows first hand how it is to be overworked and overweight. She is a living truth that once within the right community and with the right guide, everything is possible. She can be reached:
- healingyourmindset@gmail.com
- https://tinyurl.com/y7qx7wwg
- Facebook.com/sarah.savino
- @healing_your_mindset
Dr. Shakib, your Irvine Posture Chiropractor