The first step toward a healthful holiday season is simple and effective: Don't use the season as an excuse to splurge.
The second is: Always be on the lookout for ways to fit healthy behaviors into your life.
So your hoping to shed a few pounds. No matter how motivated you are, this can be a difficult time of year. But that doesn't mean the holidays have to be an unhealthy time. In fact, it's important to keep your health and fitness goals in mind. If you ignore them they may be much harder to address—mentally and physically—in the new year. The 10 pounds you wanted to lose by New Years may seem like a hill, but if you overdo it now, the 18 pounds you'll be facing on Jan. 1, 2010 will feel like a mountain. You can have a healthy holiday, even in the hectic weeks ahead, by making small adjustments that will make it easier for you to stay on your fitness track and tackle your weight-loss goals.
Challenge yourself to use these behavior modifications
1) Always eat a healthy snack before you go to a holiday party.
2) Bring healthy foods to potlucks.
3) At appetizer tables, choose two or three of your favorites and put them on a small plate or, better yet, a napkin. Then, walk away. Don't hover! When you're done with your food, throw away the napkin and grab a bottle of water.
4) At a buffet, cover most of your plate with vegetables and fruits. Then if there is room try a small portion of the high-calorie main dishes.
5) Watch out for times when you feel guilty for overeating. Just because you slipped up at lunch isn't license to overindulge all day. Remember: One meal is one meal. One day is one day.
6) On the nights you decide to have a drink, limit yourself to one or two. And don't indulge every night. Also, choose wisely—a gin and tonic has 155 calories for 7.5 fl oz, while the same size frozen strawberry daiquiri has a whopping 450 calories. Or choose wine spritzers, which are half wine and half seltzer. If you are drinking, alternate alcoholic beverages with nonalcoholic, calorie-free drinks like flavored seltzer.
7) No matter how busy you get, make time for a healthy breakfast. Eating a morning meal will help control cravings later on.
8) Purge the "junk" food from your fridge and pantry. Then replace them with healthy alternatives like 94% fat free or air popped popcorn. With all the extra homemade goodies hanging around this time of year you don't need them. Remember a calorie in must equal a calorie out!
9) Streamline your grocery shopping to include a bagged salad and healthy ingredients to top it for quick, easy meals. This way, you won't be limited to last-minute fast foods during those nights when you're dashing around.
10) Online shopping is a great time saver, but it means you lose out on the mall walking that usually goes with shopping. Make it up by figuring out exactly how much time you saved (say, 15 minutes per gift), then increase your cardio by that much for the week. Or add that time strength training. Building muscle will help your body continue to burn calories even at rest.
We'll see you in class!
Excerpts and ideas from article by:Melissa Sperl
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