Maybe you're going to have a huge Christmas dinner or potato-pancake-filled Hanukkah celebration one night; a festive New Year's Eve is bound to include some champagne and high-calorie goodies. And perhaps you'll be doing some party-hopping along the way. Add to those potential weight watching pitfalls the fact that as of today, December 13, I've already received chocolates, brownies and cookies from well-intentioned (they're not secretly plotting my weight gain!) friends and acquaintances.
Even worse, I haven't exactly been a no-carb, no-calories and no-frills fitness angel, (I think Thanksgiving started it all) and I've been baking everyday myself: brownies and cookies for teachers, beautiful banana and zucchini breads for acquaintance and family fans. But there are ways to turn this trend around or at least not worsen it. For once, I'd like to make those inevitable January resolutions that DON'T include “lose extra ten pounds gained during holidays.”
Is that even possible? Doable? I think so. Maybe…. I'll try! I mean, I know that holiday happiness does not depend on food despite all the events of the season centering around eating! Joy to the world does not translate into major weight gain for all! My fitness trainer guru and long-time friend who wears a size four and whose weight never fluctuates (amazing in itself!) offered the same suggestions she dispenses all year long. Here's Diana's major holiday fitness insights:
• You have no idea just how much you're taking in sometimes, especially when there are delectable and inviting hors d'oeuvres being passed around right in front of your face. If you're going to give in and nosh on some, decide on a number (say 3 or 5) and stick to it. Yes that was an amazing pig-in-a-blanket, but as Diana says, “it's only momentary – you enjoy it for a fleeting second, but its effects last so much longer. So give yourself a number of treats you won't exceed and stick to it.
• Don't booze it up. No preaching about the evils of alcohol here, just a few words about all those evil calories. A single glass – or half, slipped slowly – of champagne or wine will relax you and after that, simply switch to seltzer, or best of all, water. People who drink mixed cocktails, tend, for some reason, says my fitness guru, to drink more than a single cocktail. Then being overly relaxed and “loose,” all self-control will go out the window and you're likely to screw up portion control and food-time in a big way.
• Wine and champagne check in at around 80-90 calories for each ounce consumed; your basic gin and tonic weighs in anywhere from 110 to 140 calories. Not so terrible; but getting rip-roaring drunk is so regrettable “the morning after” and generally just socially incorrect.
• I know, I know, water is boring. But it helps fill you up like nothing else. It's good for the cells in your body and helps to keep your whole system in balance. It keeps you, says Diana, feeling “regular.”
• Racing around shopping does keep you moving, of course, but exercise doesn't really count unless it gets your heart rate up. It sounds crazy, but make the rest of this month “Dare Yourself December” and significantly add a ¼ or ½ mile to your treadmill regime. Watch a great DVD while you're running and the moments fly; when you turn the TV up high (if living circumstances permit) you can drown out the drone of the exercise.
• Or, just for the hell of it, rent a Pilates or Yoga videotape if you usually do aerobics; meditation and yoga. Also dramatically change your body. Devotees of yoga and Pilates sing its praises because the stretching and breathing, and the flexibility you achieve from regularly practicing these gentle, non-stressful but extremely effective exercises may change your attitude about exercise. You may even LOOK FORWARD to these new age, “new kinds” of fitness workouts. Maybe 2007 will be the year you resculpt yourself for good! The health benefits will bring you everlasting peace of mind. Look into something new when it comes to fitness.
• Even better, hint around to loved ones… that you'd love the gift of a gym or Pilates Studio membership.
• Many studies are now revealing an odd benefit of sleep: the more you sleep, the better you can watch your weight. “Belly fat” is being attributed to a consistent lack of sleep. Apparently, if you are always sleep-deprived, or even, often missing hours of sleep due to overwork, worry or even too much play, your body will fight you for control of your appetite, and producing more cortisol. Individuals with elevated cortisol levels raise their blood sugar (making you a candidate for pre-diabetes, or Syndrome X, if you're considerably overweight) and unfortunately the more cortisol your body produces, the hungrier (and more out of control about food intake) you become.
• Chew sugarless gum or pop sugar-free candies if you need to have “something” in your mouth.
• An oldie-but-goodie (sorry!): Portion control really works. Make a fist and let that be your rule-of-thumb. Much ado about your hands in that sentence, but facts are facts. A piece of chicken or fish, meatloaf or potatoes or rice (watch those carbs!) should be the size of your hand, fisted.
• This is tough, especially this time of year, but finish off your year's calendar with a food journal. You never, ever realize what you take in – until you actually count every calorie, every single morsel of food.
• Fill up on crudités (guilt-free cauliflower, broccoli, and other veggies) and salad is always great but watch out for rich, thick dressings. Apples, like broccoli, are another major source of fiber. Fiber is key to keeping your body at its best.
• Finally, despite all the hints above, if you just can't “get on board with thinking nutrition/diet/fitness” and feel like throwing all of these health and fitness cautions to the wind, remember there's always a new year…guilt and belts that no longer fit—guaranteed to get you back on track.
Here's to happy healthy holidays!
