Many people experience holiday weight gain.
Why you may ask?
It is because of all the holiday gatherings, work parties, Christmas cookies, New Year's Eve smorgasbords...
Josiah and I have put together our Top 10 Do's and Don'ts to help you avoid holiday weight gain.
10. Do redefine how you judge yourself by what you eat.
Don’t define yourself by what you eat. You are not “good” if you eat a salad nor are you “bad” if you eat fudge. They are both foods. It is the amount that you eat that matters.
9. Do mix exercise with family commitments. Plan a day hike, a ski trip, or a snow-shoeing adventure.
Don’t use the excuse that because family is in town you can’t exercise.
8. Do establish a home workout routine including push-ups, lunges, crunches, wall-sits and planks.
Don’t make the excuse that you don’t have time to go to the gym.
7. Do acknowledge the holidays will affect your exercise and eating to some extent. Focus on weight maintenance rather than weight loss.
Don’t use the holidays as a license to not exercise and/or overeat. Also, do not adopt the “all or nothing” mentality. If you feel you “blew” it by eating a doughnut at breakfast, more than likely, you will continue to overeat the rest of the day if you let that feeling prevail.
6. Do change your definition of being full. A good goal is to eat until you are 4/5ths full. You should be able to get up, go outside, and take a brisk walk after any meal.
Don’t eat until you are stuffed or in pain!
5. Do plan on NOT dieting after the New Year. Anticipation of food restriction sets you up for binge-type eating over the holidays. (“after all, if I’m never going to let myself eat this after Jan 1., I better eat as much as possible now!”)
Restrictive diets DON’T work in the long run. They increase your loss of lean body mass vs. fat, slow down your metabolism, increase anxiety, depression, food preoccupation, and binge eating, and make weight re-gain more likely.
4. Do say NO to “food pushers”. Aka Aunt Darlene, Grandma Betty, the secretary at work…
Don’t even mention the word diet. Instead politely refuse by saying, “No, thank you. It smells divine, but I am really full.”
3. Do make your focus enjoying good friends and family.
Don’t make your focus of the party its food.
2. Do choose your beverages wisely. Alcohol has a high calorie content. Choose water or diet soda instead.
Don’t drink too much alcohol as this lowers your inhibitions and you are more likely to overeat
and drink too much.
1. Do have a light snack before heading out to the party or buffet. Try a fresh piece of fruit, 6 oz of yogurt, string cheese, or raw vegetables.
Don’t go to the party hungry or skip meals so that you can eat more at the party.
Have a great Christmas and New Year!
PJ and Josiah
Why you may ask?
It is because of all the holiday gatherings, work parties, Christmas cookies, New Year's Eve smorgasbords...
Josiah and I have put together our Top 10 Do's and Don'ts to help you avoid holiday weight gain.
10. Do redefine how you judge yourself by what you eat.
Don’t define yourself by what you eat. You are not “good” if you eat a salad nor are you “bad” if you eat fudge. They are both foods. It is the amount that you eat that matters.
9. Do mix exercise with family commitments. Plan a day hike, a ski trip, or a snow-shoeing adventure.
Don’t use the excuse that because family is in town you can’t exercise.
8. Do establish a home workout routine including push-ups, lunges, crunches, wall-sits and planks.
Don’t make the excuse that you don’t have time to go to the gym.
7. Do acknowledge the holidays will affect your exercise and eating to some extent. Focus on weight maintenance rather than weight loss.
Don’t use the holidays as a license to not exercise and/or overeat. Also, do not adopt the “all or nothing” mentality. If you feel you “blew” it by eating a doughnut at breakfast, more than likely, you will continue to overeat the rest of the day if you let that feeling prevail.
6. Do change your definition of being full. A good goal is to eat until you are 4/5ths full. You should be able to get up, go outside, and take a brisk walk after any meal.
Don’t eat until you are stuffed or in pain!
5. Do plan on NOT dieting after the New Year. Anticipation of food restriction sets you up for binge-type eating over the holidays. (“after all, if I’m never going to let myself eat this after Jan 1., I better eat as much as possible now!”)
Restrictive diets DON’T work in the long run. They increase your loss of lean body mass vs. fat, slow down your metabolism, increase anxiety, depression, food preoccupation, and binge eating, and make weight re-gain more likely.
4. Do say NO to “food pushers”. Aka Aunt Darlene, Grandma Betty, the secretary at work…
Don’t even mention the word diet. Instead politely refuse by saying, “No, thank you. It smells divine, but I am really full.”
3. Do make your focus enjoying good friends and family.
Don’t make your focus of the party its food.
2. Do choose your beverages wisely. Alcohol has a high calorie content. Choose water or diet soda instead.
Don’t drink too much alcohol as this lowers your inhibitions and you are more likely to overeat
and drink too much.
1. Do have a light snack before heading out to the party or buffet. Try a fresh piece of fruit, 6 oz of yogurt, string cheese, or raw vegetables.
Don’t go to the party hungry or skip meals so that you can eat more at the party.
Have a great Christmas and New Year!
PJ and Josiah
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment