There is no denying that the holiday season is here. Work and family obligations can seem overwhelming. Even the most disciplined, health conscious person can fall off the wagon and pack on pounds when holiday stress strikes. Colorful cookies and candies lingering around the office and at home can make the New Year feel a little – heavy.
Here are some strategies to fend off holiday bulge and still enjoy the season.
Holiday Parties
Before you step out of the house have a light snack to curb your appetite. Healthy snacks include fruits, vegetables, nuts or low-fat yogurt.
Bring a dish to pass – When attending a party make a healthy dish you can eat guilt free and “sample” a few others. No time to cook? Fill-up on healthy offerings, like salad and broth-based soups, before moving on to the cheesy potatoes. You can satisfy your cravings without overindulging.
Don’t stuff and talk. Stand a few feet from the candy or nut bowl when conversing at parties. You can consume twice the calories with mindless eating.
Mall Food
Never go the mall on an empty stomach. Eat a light snack or carry a snack with you to avoid stopping for a grab and go meal.
Keep Track of What You Eat
A food journal is a great tool but only works if you are honest. Keep track of every morsel you eat and weigh yourself daily. Research has shown that people that weigh themselves daily are 82% less likely to regain lost weight than those you do not weigh in.
Meal Skipping
During the holidays you may find yourself running errands at lunch or after work. Afterward you single handedly eat a dozen holiday cookies because you were starving. Keep healthy snacks at the office, in the car and at home when you are running errands. Never skip meals.
Portion Size
How much of something you eat is just as important as what you eat. Use salad or dessert plates instead of standard 12 inch dinner plates to keep portions in check. The smaller plate will trick the mind into taking less food while thinking you ate more than you did. In fact, studies have shown that people served themselves 31% more ice cream when using oversized bowls compared to smaller bowls. The same concept works with drinks. Tall, thin glasses appear to have more liquid than short squatter versions.
Environmental Controls
Ever wonder why you feel so stuffed after those big family gatherings. It could be because the more people at the table the more you tend to eat. Why? Simple, the more people the longer the meals last. Staring at a bowl of stuffing for an hour will weaken even the most stalwart willpower.
I know you can’t skip the annual dinner at grandma’s house. So, sit next to another healthy eater (there is strength in numbers) or a slow chewer like great uncle Joe, so his pace can slow yours.
Exercise
If you don’t have time for your daily 4 mile walk try a few 10 or 5 minute sprints throughout the day. Take the stairs at work and park your car on the far edge of the mall lot to get in a few more steps during the day.
Pick Wisely
Instead of wasting calories on food you can have any time of the year, pick items that are truly special. Maybe it is your grandmother’s candied yams or your Aunt Mary’s pumpkin pie. Enjoy the season without losing your health.
December challenge – 31 day Plank Challenge and Food Journal
To keep yourself on track and carve out some spectacular abs try the 31 day plank challenge by Fitness Magazine. Each day features a progressively harder version of the basic plank. Follow the link below and print out the monthly schedule or check out the website each day for plank descriptions.
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/abs/exercises/plank-challenge/
Not ready for planks? An alternative challenge is to keep a food journal for the month of December.
- Immediately after eating or drinking record the following:
- What you ate and the amount;
- What you were doing while you were eating; and
- Describe how you felt: angry, sad, happy, starving, bored, etc…
Be honest. I will not collect the journal so nobody will see it but you. Journaling is a tool to track your good and bad habits so you can take a critical look at your food habits and make healthly changes.
Let me know which challenge you completed by 01/08/16, simply email me at mtalicska@nmc.edu. I will conduct a random drawing for two gift certificates for Oryana. Happy holidays!