Have Your Cake & Burn It Off Too
Christmas is just round the corner. There will be parties, celebrations, food and champagne. Ahhhh....that irresistible succulent Christmas ham and sumptuous pudding. That mouth watering new year buffet and the countdown champagne. Your spirit is willing but your flesh is weak. You binge.
So what’s the price you pay for your holiday gorging? Well, step onto the bathroom scale and horror of horrors, you have gained a few pounds!! Aaaaaaaaarrrrgghhh!! You pull your hair and gnash your teeth wondering how you can lose the holiday weight you’ve gained. You even contemplate engaging in one of those quick fix detox diets which you KNOW don’t work.
Whoa, whoa, stop right there! Turns out we can do a lot better. With a little thought and planning, you CAN avoid holiday weight gain while still enjoying every last moment. I’ll show you how. In fact we’re going to do this together because, just like you, Christmas is my favorite time of year and I LOVE FOOD but I’m planning on NOT gaining weight this holiday season.
The trick is to not get so carried away with all the food that all your weight loss and fitness efforts for the year go down the drain.
It's pretty simple, actually. Just like any successful undertaking in life, it all comes down to a few rules that are geared toward helping you reach your goal. Keeping yourself together after sampling a veritable feast is no different.
1) Don't munch yourself into a coma day after day.
Choose 3 or 4 designated days or events through the REST of the season to "do your thing" at the table, and practice restraint on the rest. Don't let the binge turn into a week or more by taking home all the leftovers or storing more sweets and pastries than you need for that particular holiday. It’s usually what people find in the fridge and on the kitchen shelf after the holiday that they continue to binge. Don’t be a squirrel.
2) On your big eating days, plan a morning cardio workout that is about an hour long.
Why an hour? Sixty minutes of cardiovascular activity at the start of your day will keep your metabolism elevated well into the afternoon. It doesn't matter what you do---the gym, walking around the block, jogging with the dog---whatever. Just plan to do an hour of SOMETHING on each of those mornings.
3) Pace yourself with sparkling water between each alcoholic beverage.
One gram of alcohol packs a whopping 7 calories. In contrast, carbs and protein have only 4 calories per gram. Calories from alcohol are just, well, calories with zero nutritional value. They will rapidly convert into fat fast when you do not burn them off quickly. High-calorie mixed drinks like cocktails that are full of sugar or beer which are high in carbohydrates translate into even more calories.
4) Drink Plenty Of Water.
Juices, soft drinks and coffee don't count! Just good ole plain water. Water flushes out waste from the body, transports nutrients to where they’re needed and helps the body recover from dehydration caused by alcohol consumption. You will also feel full so that you won’t want to eat anything more.
5) This one is optional, but can make a difference if you stick to it.
If on your “non-designated eating days”, you know that you just aren't going to be able to resist all those wonderful cakes and pies, try eating them with your entree and pass on all or most of the starchy sides.
Remember, the goal here is not so much to lose weight, but to BREAK EVEN or simply SURVIVE so that you don’t blow into the size of a house and derail all of the work that you may have done up to this point.
Enjoy the holidays and remember they are not only about food, but more importantly about family spending quality time together. Treat yourself to some new holiday candles, listen to your favorite Christmas tunes, or go for a drive through a lit up neighborhood. Have fun during this special time of the year and enjoy that cake.