Well here we go friends! Tis’ the Season. First the good news. Studies have shown the average American only gains 1 lb over the Holiday Season. The bad news is, they never lose that 1 lb, it is yours to keep forever and ever. If you are overweight already, the story is a bit different. It looks like the average weight-gain for this group is around 5 lbs! This group includes me, and it means we have to be that much more vigilant in eating well, eating healthy, and eating good portion sizes! We can do it!
So let’s live the month of December like we are trying to live the rest of our lives and focus on mind, body, and spirit!
My Tip’s for Eating Healthy this Month!
- Don’t bring the junk into your house! Don’t tell yourself chocolate-covered pretzels are for the family, if you know they are your down-fall. Be strong and just keep the stuff you know you can’t say “NO” to out of the house!
- Eat during the day! Don’t skip meals because you are going to be going out to dinner or to a party. This will backfire and you will be tired, lethargic, and STARVING! Then you have a drink or two - say “screw-it” and eat poorly the rest of the night. Remember your body needs energy to burn energy. Think of your body as a machine, in order to run optimally and do a good job of burning fuel, it needs to maintained, cared-for and FED! If you want to “save” calories for later in the day eat small snacks every few hours and make your calories count. Then you will be on top of your game when the time of the event comes.
- Eat something healthy before going to any party. A salad w/ some protein, some hummus and cucumbers, almonds, a protein shake…this will keep you from arriving at the party starving, and we also tend to follow healthy snacks/meals with more healthy choices
- Drink water before going to any gathering and try and fit in a glass of water between cocktails, this will keep you hydrated and from drinking as much
- Contribute to any gathering by bringing a healthy option and one you know you can eat and enjoy
- Cocktails: Obviously the “experts” will tell you to skip them, but that is not likely. Red wine and clear liquors with sugar free mixers are your two best options. SKIP eggnog drinks, coco-concoctions, and the sugar-filled mixers
- Fill your plate with the token veggie and fruit trays, skip the dips, and if there is a holiday favorite you can’t walk away from take a small serving, sit and enjoy it and be done! Indulging is ok, and in fact if you don’t indulge in your favorites you are likely to BREAK and binge on all the junk. So treat yourself, just in small portions.
- Exercise. Most people have some extra time-off or down time in the month of December. Take time to call a friend, relative or neighbor and see if they want to go for a walk, check-out some Holiday Lights! When you shop park in the back of the lot, forget parking karma and walk it! Don’t take the attitude of “I will start in the New Year”…if you keep moving in December you will start 2010 off ahead of the game!
Take this month to focus on maintaining your current weight and eating lots of good, healthy, whole foods! A calorie is a calorie, but we are what we eat and we can eat so MUCH more when we eat The Good Stuff!
