We’re sending all our love to you for this Easter long weekend and hope your day is filled with as much joy as possible in this very ‘different’ time. Though it might be a little different to every Easter we’ve had before, it’s still a day to celebrate, count blessings and share love with those we love!
You know that at equ we believe in having your cake and eating it too. With some careful planning, our top tips, some consciousness and control, you can enjoy maximum festivities with minimal restrictions! So, we’re here to share five common blunders people make around Easter and how to avoid them with ease.
If you fall victim to these blunders this year DON’T WORRY we got you! Lucky for YOU, our equ In It Together 8 Week Challenge is just around the corner after the Easter celebrations. Need a little extra motivation after Easter? …and by a little extra motivation, we mean a mega 1st prize of $5000, a 20% presale discount off the transformation package and the BONUS of a weekly training plan. This is unlike ANYTHING we’ve done before, so if you’re cooped up inside struggling to stay focused or losing motivation, it’s time to JOIN THE EQU TRIBE!
In the meantime, here are some scenarios to avoid this Easter:
Table of Contents
Throwing portion control out the window
It’s EASTER and if you want to indulge in a home-cooked feast, chocolate or dessert a diet shouldn’t stop you. Instead, practise portion control and you’ll still be able to eat everything in moderation. Some easy hacks you can use to monitor portions on your plate without weighing them:
- Protein: palm size
- Veggies and salad: 1-2 fists
- Carbs or fried sides: cupped fist
- Fats, sauces and dressing: 1 finger
Then, just track everything into your equ app to see what calories you have left for the rest of the day! It’s as easy as that.
Don’t forget about your water intake
Hitting your water intake goals should be a BIG focus for you any day of the week, but especially around festive times. This is because if you’re dehydrated, you can confuse this with hunger, which leads to overeating. As a rule of thumb, you should always try and drink around 1L of water per 20kg of bodyweight, for example, if you’re 60kg drink three litres.
If you’re planning on toasting to Easter with a couple of cheeky alcoholic drinks, we hear you. Ensuring you keep your water intake up will again prevent dehydration, help the body process any extra sugar intake and also avoid any unwelcome hangovers.
Not counting liquid calories
While we’re on the topic of alcoholic bevvies, don’t forget that liquids have calories too! That’s absolutely not to say you can’t enjoy a drink or two with your loved ones at Easter, but just make sure to track your calories like you would with anything else. A glass of wine is usually a pretty calorie-friendly option at around 125 calories a glass, or a vodka and diet soft drink at 65 calories a glass. If you don’t drink alcohol but still want to indulge in a sweet drink, opting for a diet or sugar-free option will help you save on those empty calories so you’ve got more room for a slice of pav later. But like all things, without moderation and portion control the calories can add up. Check out our article on alcohol and weight management here.
Eating your Easter chocolate all in one go
Those mini eggs might seem harmless if you only eat one or two, but trust us, we know how easy it is to mindlessly start snacking on them and not stop until half the packet is gone! Pay attention to the serving size on the back of the packet (or egg, bunny etc) and divide it up into the recommended serving. That way, not only do you get to enjoy your Easter chocolate without blowing your calorie budget, it will last you much longer!
Buying TOO MANY Easter Eggs
This can happen a lot in bigger families – you never know when a surprise guest might pop around, and you don’t want to be caught without a spare Easter egg in hand to gift them. Due to the circumstances surrounding this year’s Easter, it’s pretty unlikely you’ll be having any unexpected guests, but if you are planning on buying some gifts for the family, make a list. Only buy eggs for the people you know you’ll be seeing, otherwise you’ll end up with an extra supply of chocolate to tempt you. Having your own eggs last for a couple of days after Easter is one thing, but having baskets of chocolate around the house for weeks is a one-way road to temptation!
Enjoy Easter everyone, and remember if you ever need any help self-tracking, our in-house nutritionists and incredible equ community are always here for you.