It starts on Halloween and doesn't stop until New
Years...the demise of our healthy diet and lifestyle. Every
year we go into the holidays with good intentions, yet we
come out with an extra 10 pounds. And what's worse, some
serious doubts to whether or not we will ever get the
weight off and keep it off.
Well, doubt no more my friends...I have come up with your
Holiday Plan of Attack - a plan that will have you holding
steady through the holidays and have you ready for serious
weight loss in the New Year. Look, very few of us can
actually lose weight during the holidays, BUT if you go in
fighting, you can certainly keep from gaining...and who
knows, maybe lose a little?
First off...ask yourself...are you willing to do the work?
It will take some planning, and WILLPOWER to make this work
but you can do it. Now, you need to tell yourself that you
can do it. When you throw in the towel on the entire
holiday season, eat every finger food, casserole and
dessert you can get your hands on, while kidding yourself
thinking "I'll just diet come the new year"...you are
setting yourself up for failure. The healthy and thin
people don't do it this way. They don't eat everything in
sight and make up for it later. They plan ahead, budget
their calories, exercise religiously throughout the season,
yet they enjoy the holidays just as anyone else...they just
go about it smarter!
So how do you get in on this secret healthy holiday
lifestyle? Here are 10 simple steps that will work for
anyone:
1) PLAN! Print out or use a pocket size calendar from now
through Jan 1. Write in all parties and events immediately
as you know about them. Also, write in planned shopping
days or family functions...down to your kid's sports or
music practices and programs. Now, pencil in 5 times each
week when you can exercise. Yes, I said 5 (at least). So,
if you know you have a party on a certain evening, plan to
exercise that morning before work instead.
When you don't plan your workouts, the busy season will get
the best of you and exercise will be the first thing you
cut out. Remember, all this exercise is THE KEY to burning
off the excess fat and calories you will most certainly be
taking in. Just think about how many extra candy dishes,
baked goods, food gifts, etc. that floats around. You are
bound to have a nibble (or a feast) here and there so you
need the extra calorie burn...FOR SURE!
2) Clean House! If you have a party, get rid of the
non-healthy foods ASAP! Restock your kitchen by throwing
out ALL the seasonal treats, chips, sweets or other high
calorie/ empty foods right after the party (or simply send
EVERYTHING home with someone else). That's right, throw
them out! If the "bad" food is not there you won't be
tempted to eat it! Ok, if you feel really guilty about
throwing it away just take it to work and leave it in the
kitchen or break room...it'll be gone in minutes!
3) Don't go to that party hungry! Have a half of a turkey
sandwich, spoonful of natural peanut butter or handful of
nuts or maybe a piece of fruit before that party,
especially the late one's. You'll be much less likely to
overeat and do some serious damage.
4) Don't stuff yourself! If you are at a holiday dinner and
don't want to overindulge I have a fool proof way of
keeping yourself from overeating. And there is NO rule that
says you have to eat everything on your plate. Try this
trick...shake lots of salt all over your food when you find
yourself starting to feel the slightest bit full. It will
appear you are still joining in on the fun but will keep
you from continuing to eat when you are already full and
satisfied.
5) Choose Wisely. Look, I'm not going to tell you to not
eat all your favorite holiday foods. What I will say is
portion control! Have a little of your favorites but NOT a
lot. Here are a few food choice tips: skip the skin on the
turkey and go for breast only, watch those casseroles and
lean heavier on vegetables that are au natural, watch the
high fat gravies, limit alcohol and drink lots of water!
6) Be the "healthy" lone ranger. Be the one who brings a
healthy fruit platter, a lower fat and calorie version of
pumpkin pie (yes, it does exist), a nice healthy pumpkin or
ginger bread, a yummy salad or that favorite broccoli salad
using low fat versions of mayo or substituting yogurt. My
point, there are healthy ways to make those holiday
favorites...you just need to give them a try. Many times no
one will know the difference.
7) Slow down. Chew each bite well, set your fork down, take
your time and give your brain time to tell you when you're
full. Party and social eating is what I call "mindless"
eating. You know....you're talking, eating, talking and
eating more and more and more. Keep tabs on how much you
are eating by getting yourself one plate of food, making
the best choices possible, with a few small portions or
bites of the yummy sinful stuff (it is the holidays ya
know) and then that's all folks. No seconds. Period.
8) Don't go shopping without healthy snacks. Going hours
without eating will guarantee overeating when you finally
do eat. Take a piece of fruit, a baggie with a dried fruit
and nut mix, a protein bar or some sort of purse sized
snack for munching on while shopping. It will keep your
energy up and keep you from grabbing a giant pretzel
(drizzled in chocolate I'm sure) or a Cinnabon Roll
instead....Yikes!
9) Take charge at restaurants. Think ahead and plan to go
to places where you are sure you can order something
healthful, especially when doing all that holiday shopping.
Take the lead and pick where you eat so you know there are
healthy choices available. Order sauces, topping and
dressings on the side and put half of your meal in a "To
Go" box first thing, that way you are sure not to overeat.
10) Don't beat yourself up. So you totally blew your diet
at lunch, get back on ship and have a light healthy dinner
and hit the gym to burn a few extra calories. Don't use
that one bad meal as a reason to give up on the whole day,
or even worse the whole week. These are the little mental
battles we MUST recognize and not let get the best of us.
The absolute worst thing you can do is throw in the towel
and give into the holidays. Believe me...it will make your
job come the first of the year a true battle.
----------------------------------------------------
From a sickly little girl to a healthy chef to the stars,
Darlene Nicholson transformed herself into The "Kick in the
Butt" Healthy Lifestyle Expert and creator of the popular
DVD "The Healthy Grocery Store Tour". Grab a copy of her
free ebook "4 Steps to Permanent Weight Loss"...guaranteed
to open your eyes to how easy weight loss can be with the
right plan of attack. http://free-weightloss-book.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment