Let me stop before I start and say that the holidays – from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day – is a time for family, friends and showing love to one another; it should not be for “surviving”. But all too often, that’s what the months of November and December become. Albeit, the holidays cause stress and strain on our bodies and emotions with careless drivers, shopping insanity, and of course, this year’s economical downturn, we need to relax and embrace the moments we live in. That being said, I will use the term “survive” loosely. The holidays often mean adding some poundage to the “pudge” that was never really taken off from Fall… or beach season… or maybe even last December? Don’t starve yourself this month – we are not trying to hibernate for the winter; rather, live and experience everything in moderation.
Let me help you “survive” with some tips I’ve gained from experience and http://www.livestrong.com.
1. EAT! Please eat. Don’t skip that breakfast or lunch because you know there will be holiday cookies or sweets coming later in the day. Personally, I’m a big fan of breakfast but rarely have the time to consume half of my protein and calories for the day in the 5 minutes I allow. Here’s your solution: eat something with substance in the morning (more than cereal) and continue with healthy snacks until lunch. Your body is amazing and regulates metabolism depending on your consumption of food, water and exercise. (If you’ve read my other blogs, you know how I feel about not eating – YOUR BODY NEEDS FOOD!) Again, EAT LUNCH! When the sweets come around the office, you can take a cookie or half a cupcake, it’s okay! Otherwise, that cupcake could come back to haunt you during your 4 o’clock daydream.
2. HYDRATE. Just like food, regular water consumption can help to increase your metabolism. Keep some water in a reusable bottle (to benefit the environment) with you when you shop, drive or sit at your desk.
3. EXERCISE. This doesn’t mean “go to the gym”, but get into an exercise routine. You will see close to zero results if you workout once a week. Set up some quality alone time with yourself and get your heart going daily. Yes, you might not visually see your results for a while so keep going even if you’re a little discouraged. Remember, your body cannot work miracles overnight, but come January, you’ll already be ahead of all those New Year’s resolutions, not to mention the pounds.
4. GUM. If you absolutely will not allow yourself to have ANY sweets but can’t stop that craving, simply chew some gum, brush your teeth or swish some mouth wash. Try it, it works!
5. THE BIG DINNER. Despite popular opinion, just because it’s Christmas dinner doesn’t mean you have to eat the entire smorgasbord! It also doesn’t mean you have to have seconds. You have options, you know. 1) Fill your plate as you would a normal dinner and let your guests indulge. If you finish and find you still want some more, have a little more! 2) Use smaller plates. The Food Network has an awesome show, Food Detectives, that investigated how much people consume when they use different sized plates. Obviously, the more surface area to fill, the more food you will probably take, therefore, the more food you will probably consume.
6. HOLIDAY PARTIES. This can be the big problem for so many people and I know why. If the party is a “bring a dish to share” kind of party, you run the risk of constantly getting asked “Oh, did you try so-and-so’s dish?” In addition, parties with easy finger foods make work easy for the host but awful for the grazer. I have to disagree with the livestrong.com article on this one, though. The article says “Let your host know you are on a special diet.” In my opinion, if this were my party and someone RSVPed to inform me about their diet, I would feel obligated to prepare another dish for that person. Instead, eat your dinner before you leave for the party. It is polite to say “No, thank you,” when someone asks if you’re hungry, so try it out!
Hopefully with these tips, the holidays won’t seem like you’re about to tackle and obstacle course tire doughnuts rings and cupcake wall hurdles. Trust me, you’ll be a lot happier when January comes around and you won’t feel as though you “survived”!
Body Wrap for Weight Loss 