VIP, Baby!

Happy Friday, everyone!

Another week has flown by already! Hard to believe.

Yesterday, I was able to get off work a little early, which worked out really nicely because my sugar daddy (heh heh) was able to score VIP access to an event through one of his jobs.

Sugar Daddy

My destination:

The Empire State Building!

A new bar opened in the Empire State Building, The Empire Room, and through work, he was able to score an evening trying it out for both of us.

We were able to get in without a cover, have an open bar, free appetizers, and just hang out.

We ended up staying for a few hours, just hanging out and catching up. Normally during the week, it’s very rare for us to both be home before 9 PM, so to be able to go sit and leisurely hang out at a bar after work, was a really nice treat.

So today I want to talk a little bit about how I like to eat before and after I know I am going to have a big splurge. So, whether it be a birthday party, a holiday meal, or any other type of occasion where I know I will be eating and drinking rich foods, I like to kind of “prep” my body before, and eat lighter the next day.

Just to clarify, this is nothing like the girls in college that would try not to eat on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays since they knew they would be drinking so many calories those nights. Nor is this about working out extra or starving yourself in attempt to get rid of every calorie. This is about following the 80/20 rule when it comes to food.

The 80/20 rule simply means that if you eat healthy, whole, fresh foods 80% of the time, the other 20% (desserts, fatty meats, cheese, alcohol) is fair game. This rule also makes it very easy to enjoy all the holiday festivities without much weight gain or health concern, because the entire rest of the year balances it out.

That said, when I have an event coming up, I try to do 3 “extra” things the day of (and ideally the day before too). Firstly, I increase my water intake even more than normal. This keeps me hydrated and water is one of the easiest ways to keep everything in the cells metabolizing optimally and flush out any toxins. Secondly, I eat a little bit more vegetables. I try to make one meal a day a big (I mean big, like serving bowl size) salad, but the day of or before a splurge, I might try to eat an extra serving of veggies in place of meat, an extra piece of bread, etc. Finally, I move a little bit more. Again, I’m not talking about working out obsessively in an attempt to burn off every calorie I plan on indulging in. I am talking about an extra 10 minutes on the treadmill. Or a 20 minute walk. Just something a little extra to allow me to eat a little extra guilt free. For some people, they may just choose not to indulge in the birthday cake, or the pecan pie at Thanksgiving, etc. But I love these foods and I love the reason for making and eating these foods, so I know that won’t be enjoyable for me. But an extra mile during my run so I have more of an appetite? Sure. Exercise is something I love anyway, so this is an easy solution for me. This allows me to eat what I want, and have a “real” serving of whatever food, instead of “just a bite” (sorry, I’ve never been a “just have a bite of the chocolate cake and you’ll be satisfied” kinda girl).

The day after a big indulgence I follow the exact same rules. You see, the human body really is amazing. We all have a set point where our body can function very well on it’s own, and maintain the same metabolism, with very little conscious effort from us. When we are at this set point, our body naturally makes us less hungry, or crave vegetables the day after indulging. Not joking, when I eat healthy, I crave vegetables the day after a splurge, or after a vacation filled with rich foods.

Will Run for Burgers and Beer

Since I knew 5 Napkin Burger would be quite the indulgence, I followed my guidelines both Wednesday, and yesterday.

On Wednesday, I got this vegan Sesame Quinoa Wrap wrap from The V Spot in Brooklyn. It had: whole wheat tortilla, tri-color quinoa, steamed kale, sweet potato, zucchini, and sesame ginger dressing. It had 9 grams of fiber and 16 grams of protein. Quinoa rocks! Normally, I would eat all of it, but I stopped at half since I knew dinner would be very rich.

I also drank this!

Green juice! To get in a ton of extra servings of veggies. These are not for the faint of heart. I am a girl who pounds Kombucha in a way people must think it’s sugary sweet and delicious. But green juice? I admittedly have to choke them down. But drinking 5-9 servings of vegetables? I can definitely drink it down for that. Plus, green juices have a miraculous effect on the body. The first time I had one, because it’s liquid and therefore begins to get absorbed into the blood stream from the stomach (as opposed to the small intestine), I felt like I had SO much energy almost immediately. It really is amazing. I always thought people were exaggerating, but turns out it’s true. Next time you get the 3 PM slump, forget the coffee, drink one of these bad johnnies. Or be like me and have both It’s all about the balance!

Not for the faint of heart

Yesterday, I made sure to drink a lot of water, eat lots of produce, and not only did I run in the morning (like normal, gotta keep up the normal routine when it comes to indulging) and walk to work, but I also walked extra amounts for my date with Jamie I could have taken a cab from work in the Upper East Side to the Empire State Building, but I had the time to walk, it’s free, and it was an extra 45 minutes of time to myself to walk through this amazing city, think, and decompress from my day. It’s just an added perk that it helped me metabolize my 5 Napkin Burger food baby Jamie and I also walked home from the ESB. We love walking through the city at night

Question of the Day: Do you do things differently with your eats or workouts around holidays or other splurge-worthy events?

Have a fabulous Friday!

Cheers,

L

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