Good choices can be easy and keep you healthy!
For some of you reading this, holiday weight-gain has become a way of life. You have simply accepted that between Thanksgiving Day and New Year’s Eve the scale is going to increase by 5-10lbs. Well, if you so desire, this does not have to be the regular course of life around the holidays. You can avoid those holiday pounds and stay healthy! You actually do have choice in the matter of either putting on undesired adipose tissue or maintaining yourself in preparation for moving forward with your health in the New Year, instead of simply backtracking to remove weight gained in November and December. Here are a three simple steps to take to set yourself up for success over the holiday season:
Set Your Parameters
What constitutes holiday success for you? Is it only putting on 2lbs instead of your usual 7? Is it avoiding the holiday treats sitting around the office? First, you must set a goal for yourself. Make it one that allows you to enjoy yourself but one that also challenges you to not to over-indulge. Lay out your goal and plan, then begin to stick to it. For instance, if you have a habit of grabbing a cookie from the office tray or from the dessert plate in the kitchen at home every now and then, and then again, and then again- Stop It! Make a reasonable goal, such as allowing yourself one small item per day from the sweets tray. Or “success” for you might be only indulging in desserts at special occasions. You don’t have to eat pie at each of the three Christmas parties you attend! Really, you don’t have to! Save it for Christmas Eve dinner and a bit on Christmas Day. I suppose you are missing out on some holiday goodies, but you are also “missing out” on hundreds or thousands of extra calories. Figure out what would leave you feeling healthy and successful come the end of December and make that your objective.
Substitute a Healthy Choice
This time of year, your breakfast, snacks, or frankly any other meal during the day can turn into pieces of banana bread, a slice of fruitcake, and some holiday fudge very easily. When we make these choices we like to play it off like it is just a holiday substitute for what we might normally have and that it doesn’t make much difference. The problem is that it does matter! Doing this one time per day, three or four days per week over 5 weeks from Thanksgiving to New Years means 15-20 “meals” of high calorie sugar + fat! Over the course of an entire month, these often become “mystery pounds” that somehow find their way onto your waistline over the holidays. So, an easy solution is to substitute those holiday treats-disguised-as-food for actual, nutritious choices! That might mean doing whatever you normally do during the year, or for some reading this, it might mean doing something different that is actually nourishing. Try whole-grain oatmeal and an egg instead of a Danish. Have a salad or wrap, a healthy choice with some actual nutritional value, instead of banana bread and your aunt’s lemon cake for lunch. And if there is no substitute for the tray of cookies sitting at home, then either share them at a party (or with some group of people) or consider the possibility of not eating them at all! Throwing away dessert is hardly wasting “food”. There is greater value to your health by not eating them then by eating them!
Begin that Exercise Program Now
You don’t need to wait until January to begin exercising again. Let’s be honest- New Year’s resolutions tend to die hard. So, start exercising in December! Because some minor indulgences will likely happen over the holiday season, you can start burning away those extra calories as you go, while creating a great life habit that won’t fizzle-out easily, as would a resolution. Remember, though, that 20 minutes of cardio does not give you free reign at the dessert table without consequences, so be smart about your exercise-to-eating ratios during this time of year.
I promise you that if you create healthy eating and/or fitness goals during the holiday season, you will not regret it. You won’t miss the extra sugar cookies you didn’t have. You won’t miss the egg nog you didn’t drink. You won’t miss that second piece of pie. However, you’ll be much happier when looking at your waistline and hopefully have a sense of accomplishment once you reach your post-Thanksgiving, pre-New Year’s goals! You can do it!
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Jaffer Barlas at Barlas Chiropractic, contact us at 206-954-7479 or message us through our website contact page.
Have an outstanding Holiday Season!
Yours in health,
Seattle Chiropractor
(206) 954-7479