Author: Ashley Cates

Heading to a BBQ/Party? Maybe you’re feeling a little stressed that you won’t be able to enjoy yourself while staying on track with your fitness goals 🙁 BUT I promise you CAN 🙂 It just takes some balance & moderation, Babes!

The tips below are what I do for most parties & what I advise for my clients to do too! It all comes down to bringing &/or having foods you know fuel your goals (veggies, lean protein, & water) & then being picky with what “fun foods” you want to enjoy!

Some people would rather have a couple drinks while others would rather have potato salad & a cupcake! We’re practicing flexible dieting so whatever YOUR “fun foods” preference is then have it😘

Besides following moderation so that you don’t go over on your calorie/macro goals, following these tips will just help with you feeling your best vs stuffed with a tummy ache from too much party food😣

And if you think it might be weird to bring lean protein or veggies to a party, I’m pretty sure it’s NOT weird but it’s a nice friendly gesture! And setting an example about caring for your health & balance is pretty cool in my book!

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Struggling to meet your fitness goals while keeping up with your social life? Let me help! Check out my coaching services which range from me just setting up macros and training programs to macros with meal ideas to more in-depth one-on-one coaching that involves weekly check-ins with optional phone calls.

*This post was created by Ashley Cates who is not a Registered Dietician or a Medical Professional, nothing said should be taken as medical advice or replace any advice given by a Physician. This information does not in any way intend to diagnose or treat any health condition/disorder. The information provided is based on Ashley’s education and experience.

Whether it’s a party, event, or dinner out, as social 21+ adults, it’s normal to want to enjoy a alcohol beverage!

I know many can get anxiety about hanging out with friends when trying to be fit and healthy but I promise that you don’t have to! Like I preach about all foods ALL DRINKS can be enjoyed without it deterring your fitness goals if it’s done in responsible moderation!

I talk a lot about the 80/20 rule with Nutrition in which I think true balanced health can be achieved with consuming 80% nutrient dense foods and 20% fun foods. Alcohol has no nutrient value so it would be in the “fun” category, so for most this means enjoying 1-2 low calorie drinks! For me, this is plenty to enjoy a social event and stay on track with my fitness and health goals!

Here’s a list of some of my FAVORITE Low Calorie Drinks I like to enjoy when socializing! Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post to learn how to correctly track alcohol!

WINE

At about 125 calories per 5 oz glass, any type of wine is a great low calorie drink option!

SPIKED SELTZERS

These are SO popular right now and there’s SOOO many great flavors and with most being 90-100 calories these are a great low cal drink!

LIGHT BEER

If you like volume eating then light beer is kind of like a “volume” drink LOL 16 oz light beer (1 pint) is about 125 calories! I’ll choose this often at bars or sports games because it will last much longer than a cocktail!

SPECIALTY COCKTAILS!

Below I’ve listed some of my favorite cocktail recipes! Some other great low calorie mixed drinks are:

-Whiskey Diet

-Vodka Water or Tonic

-Tequila with Lime Juice

HOW TO TRACK ALCOHOL MACROS

Did you know alcohol is actually a macronutrient?! Because it’s SO energy dense with 7 calories per gram, it is considered a macronutrient BUT because it has no nutrient value and is not needed for survival, then it is not included when tracking macros. So how do you correctly track alcohol calories?

You would simply take the calories & divide by 4 to then account for these drink calories as carb calories OR divide by 9 to count them as fats

Example:
100 calorie drink/4=25 (so you would subtract 25g of carbs from your macros to account for this drink)

OR
100 calorie drink/7=14.2 (so you would subtract 14.2g of fats from your macros to account for this drink)

OR
You could also do a combo of both! 9g of carbs & 7g of Fat would be 99 calories (or any other combo that works for you 😉)

Struggling to meet your fitness goals while keeping up with your social life? Let me help! Check out my coaching services which range from me just setting up macros and training programs to macros with meal ideas to more in-depth one-on-one coaching that involves weekly check-ins with optional phone calls.

*This post was created by Ashley Cates who is not a Registered Dietician or a Medical Professional, nothing said should be taken as medical advice or replace any advice given by a Physician. This information does not in any way intend to diagnose or treat any health condition/disorder. The information provided is based on Ashley’s education and experience.

Do you ever feel like keeping up with your social life is hard when you’re trying to reach a fitness goal?

I think this is because we often feel like social situations only revolve around food or maybe even drinking alcohol. And when a big part of reaching a fitness goal means that you need to have your nutrition dialed in, going out to eat can bring some anxiety that the meal is going to push us farther from our fitness goals!

Now of course you know I’m ALL about flexible dieting and that ALL FOODS can fit into a Macro Balanced diet! But sometimes finding other things to do with friends and family besides going out to eat can make staying on track easier!

Try out one of these alternative activities next time you get together with loved ones!

1) Go For a Walk/Hike

This is probably the most popular option because it’s typically the easiest and cheapest! But don’t think you have to do a long/hardcore hike with friends for it to be “worth it”! Even just a short mile at a park nearby, around your neighborhood, or even around the mall could be nice!

But check out this site for different trails wherever you live: https://www.hikingproject.com

2) Go Bowling, Play Mini-golf, Arcade Games, or Escape Rooms!

Fun for date night or with a group of friends these fun games gets us up and moving! Great to get in some steps and also some good laughs, these activities are some of my favorites! and also some good laughs, these activities are some of my favorites!

3) Take a class!

You could make it an active class by doing something like spin, kickboxing, or yoga! Typically gyms will have guest passes if you want to bring a friend to yours OR check out https://classpass.com for studio classes. They have a FREE two week trial!

Or if you don’t want to get sweaty, then try taking a one of the popular paint, plant, or ceramic classes that you can find on Groupon! I LOVE doing these with my family! You TOTALLY don’t have to be artistic to have fun with them!

4) Have a Picnic with Activities!

So this one does involve food BUT when you’re bringing your own meal/snacks, then it’s easy to stay within your Macros! Bring your picnic to a park or beach along with a frisbee, football, corn hole, a deck of cards, or if the park is big then enjoy a quick bite and then have a nice long walk!

Check out some of my favorite picnic lunches below!

Did you find this post useful? Comment below or contact me 

Need guidance with finding balance with food and exercise? Want coaching with macros/nutrition and/or personal training from me, a Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist? Check out my coaching services which range from me just setting up Custom Macros and Training Programs to Macros with Meal Ideas to more in-depth 1:1 Coaching that involves 24/7 email access to me and weekly check-ins.

Do you ever feel like you’re not taking your fitness seriously enough unless you’re going ALL OUT everyday? 

Or that missing a workout makes you a slacker or a failure? 

I asked the poll in my stories “Do you ever struggle with Rest?” and 90% of you said you did!

And as someone who used to go to workout EVERYDAY and sometimes TWICE a day…I totally get it. BUT I can tell you that our bodies NEED rest to THRIVE! Here’s 3 reasons why!

1.You Rebuild Through Rest

While we put in the effort in the gym, it’s actually the recovery process of food and rest that is improving our physiques! 

In the gym we are working the muscle and actually tearing it down (I know it sounds gross right?) But when we are out of the gym, we eat to give our bodies fuel to rebuild the torn muscle cells and when we rest/sleep the body can REALLY focus on healing those cells! This results in stronger muscles which helps with speeding up the metabolism for fat loss which will aid in a more lean and toned look!

2. There’s More to Life than Working Out

Have you ever missed an event because you didn’t want to miss a workout? This can be a problem with feeling the need to be at the gym everyday 1-2 hours a day, as it doesn’t give wiggle room for days you’re busy or exhausted. 

I personally now stick to working out 4 days a week and LOVE it because it allows me to make up a workout the following day if necessary because some days I need rest or have extra work or have events with family and friends. It’s important to remember the other responsibilities and joy (work, friends, family, self care) that give our life purpose and happiness. And if we neglect those just for the sake of a workout…this can make our overall health feel imbalanced.

3. Avoiding Rest will lead to Burnout or Injury

If you’re constantly grinding your body into the ground then burnout or injury is bound to happen! Muscles will continue to tear and get brittle without proper nutrients and rest to heal them! 

And if you get in maybe a short term habit of working out everyday and then something comes up and you have to miss a workout, you may feel like you’ve “failed” and get in a funk to skip more days, weeks, months.

So what’s a healthy amount of exercise?

Whatever’s truly sustainable for YOU! 2-5 days doing actual workouts and then having a step goal of at least 5K, is I think a sustainable approach that anyone can start at! And don’t think that 5 days working out is better than 2 if you can really only stick with 2! Our bodies thrive on balance and consistency! 

So start with what you can and then build from there! If you want results that last, you need to find a routine that lasts! And I can tell you that the person who workouts consistently twice a week and gets their steps in for LIFE, will likely be more healthy and fit than the person who workouts out 6 days a week for 2 weeks and then takes off 3 months.

Side Note to those who may be on an extended rest from Surgery or Accident:

GIVE YOUR BODY GRACE! Do not beat your body up for needing to heal based on circumstances you likely can’t control! You have to remember the big picture of life and that giving your body the rest and calories it needs to heal, will benefit you in the future to rebuild! 

Life isn’t fair and it isn’t easy, but our journey’s to our healthier and best selves will ALWAYS be worth it 🙂 

Did you find this post helpful? Comment below or contact me 

Struggling to meet your fitness goals and want guidance with macros/nutrition and/or personal training from me, a Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist? Check out my coaching services which range from me just setting up macros and training programs to macros with meal ideas to more in-depth one-on-one coaching that involves weekly check-ins with optional phone calls.

*This post was created by Ashley Cates who is not a Registered Dietician or a Medical Professional, nothing said should be taken as medical advice or replace any advice given by a Physician. This information does not in any way intend to diagnose or treat any health condition/disorder. The information provided is based on Ashley’s education and experience.