|
The best way is NOT to gain it over the
holidays! Here's Ten Tips for Staying in Shape
During the Holidays
The holidays are not only notorious for long
lines, major traffic, and familial tiffs, but also
with super-rich foods, overindulgence, and lower
activity levels. The latter adds up and becomes
part of what we all dread: holiday weight gain. It
happens to all most everyone. Whether it be one
pound, half a pound, or five pounds, the weight
goes on and rarely comes off. Five Christmas'
later, you have a significant weight gain on your
hands (or hips!). So what to do?
Here's our list of ten tips to make sure you
stay in shape over the holiday season and avoid
putting "lose weight" as one of your New Year's
resolutions:
1. Stay active: One of the major causes of
weight gain during the holidays is lack of
activity. Time is spent doing holiday errands,
which makes us more tired, less motivated, and not
wanting to stick to our routine. Best thing to
do.stick to your regular schedule! Not only will it
help keep weight gain down, it will give you more
energy and it will reduce your stress which are
both needed to battle the long lines and parking
squabbles. Better yet, if you can up your activity,
even better! Try walking a few extra laps around
the mall. Or an extra 20 minutes on that
treadmill.
2. Don't starve yourself: One of the most common
mistakes people make is to go hungry all day so
that they can "afford" the calories later on at the
holiday party they will be attending. Big no-no!
You will be so hungry by the time you get to the
party, that you will forget about any sense of the
word moderation or control. You are setting
yourself up for a major binge. Make sure to eat
your normal (healthy, hopefully) meals and keep
your hunger at bay so that you can enjoy the food
at the party without going overboard. Another thing
to do is have a snack before you go the party. A
piece of fruit or something along those lines will
keep you somewhat satiated.
3. Don't let your fat diary go! If you stick to
your normal routine of writing down what you eat,
you will be able to monitor your caloric intake
better. Go online to www.Philsfatdiaries.com and
sign up for your free fat diary. Research shows
that people who keep a fat diary actually consume
15% less food than those who do not!
4. Choose healthier options: There are some
healthy options that you can eat during the
holidays. White meat turkey is a great lean
protein. Vegetables that aren't laden with butter,
salad not drenched in dressing, sweet potatoes, and
cranberries are also options. You can also make
other typical dishes healthier by changing the
ingredients slightly. Try making mashed potatoes
with reduced-fat or low-fat milk, yogurt or sour
cream. Dips and spreads, same thing. Really think
about the ingredients that you normally use and
then think about how you can make the dish
healthier. But, on that same note..
5. Enjoy what you love: We all have those
certain dishes or items that just bring us back to
childhood and make the holidays special. Go ahead,
indulge! Be choosy about what you indulge in
though. Don't choose the pumpkin pie just because
it is lower in fat than the pecan (which it is). If
you want the pecan, choose the pecan! You don't
want to set yourself up for binges later. That one
piece of pumpkin pie may not satisfy you, so you
may have another when, really, you could have had
just one piece of pecan and been completely
satisfied. Give yourself permission to enjoy the
holidays. Just enjoy with a sense of moderation. If
you want to splurge on dessert, maybe you are a
little more careful with your entrée
choice.
6. Don't try and start a new diet during the
holidays: That just screams binge! You will only be
setting yourself up for disappointment, resentment,
and depression. You get that enough from your
family members, you don't need that from yourself.
Stay healthy, but don't be too restrictive.
7. Holidays are days: Yes, days.not weeks, not
months, but days. Treat them that way. Enjoy
yourself on the particular holiday, but then go
right back to your normal healthy eating plan. Just
because it's the day before, the day before
Christmas Eve, doesn't mean it's a holiday!
8. Take time for you: It goes without saying
that this season is all about stress! Between
trying to shop, worrying about what your Aunt Tilly
is going to say about your new choice of career,
trying to schedule in all your holiday parties
along with your kids' plays and concerts and still
dealing with day-to-day stressors, it is important
that you take some time for yourself. Schedule a
massage, buy a new book, treat yourself to a yoga
studio membership, learn to meditate, whatever.
Find something that will curb your stress that is
not eating! This is the EASIEST time to turn to
food for comfort. There is a ton around and it is
all super-indulgent. Give yourself another method
to deal with stress; you more than deserve it!
9. Give (or ask for) the gift of health: Gym
memberships, exercise equipment, athletic apparel
or shoes, gift certificates to a spa or personal
trainer, etc. There are many "health" related gifts
that you can give or ask for that would help
someone you love or yourself stay healthy all year
long. It will give a great jump-start to those New
Year's Resolutions that we normally give up by
February. Make a commitment to your body and teach
others to do the same.
10. Eat, drink, and be Merry! It can't be said
enough. This is a season that is full of joy, love,
and many good things if you let it be just that.
Let your body and mind tell you what it needs,
wants, and can do without. Live a little, but don't
go overboard if it is only going to make you
miserable the next day. It is supposed to be fun
and it will be if you stay true to yourself and
your needs.
© 2005 by Philip Lempert
Source: About Philip Lempert: An
expert on consumer issues, marketing trends, new
products and food safety, Lempert is a respected
analyst with an uncanny ability to identify and
explain trends to both industry and consumers in a
thought provoking and entertaining manner. Known as
the Supermarket Guru®, Lempert is the food
trends editor for NBC News' TODAY Show, founder and
editor of SupermarketGuru.com and can be heard
weekly as host of the syndicated radio show
Shopping Smart®. He's also a correspondent for
BBC Radio's 5 Live Program and is the author of
several books including Being the Shopper:
Understanding the Buyer's Choices, Phil Lempert's
Supermarket Shopping & Value Guide. Phil is a
member of the Advisory Board to the Partnership for
Food Safety Education in Washington DC. For more
food & diet tips check out Phil's website:
www.supermarketguru.com
and be sure to sign up for your free fat diary at
www.philsfatdiaries.com
* * *
Contact
Us |
Disclaimer
| Privacy
Statement
Menstuff®
Directory
Menstuff® is a registered trademark of Gordon
Clay
©1996-2023, Gordon Clay
|
