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 Information-packed FREE Weight Loss Articles
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Don't Gain the "Holiday 7" By Greg
Landry (Sincere thanks to Greg for letting me reprint this
article here!)
Copyright 2004
by Greg Landry, M.S..
As the holidays approach, a frequent question
from my clients and subscribers is "How can I
avoid gaining weight during the holidays" ?
Their concern is legitimate. The average American adult
gains seven pounds of fat
between Thanksgiving and New Years Day.
However, with a little know-how and effort you
don't have to be "average". In fact, I've seen
many people actually lose a few pounds over the holidays and
feel great while doing it.
One of my clients said it best, "Greg, I can't
tell you how good it feels to have lost three
pounds during the holidays instead of gaining
ten pounds as I used to do. My friends are
jealous. It's January 2nd and I'm feeling (and
looking) lean and mean. And, best of all, I
actually enjoyed the holidays more because I
always felt energetic. In years past, inactivity
and lots of food made me constantly sluggish
and tired."
Here are a few tips that can bring you into the
new year without any new pounds...
-
Do some type
of exercise everyday, preferably every morning. Now this can
be as simple as a 15 minute walk some days but it's VERY
important that you do something everyday. Physiologically,
this keeps your metabolism elevated, helps to control your
appetite, and ENERGIZES you!
Mentally, daily exercise increases your mental acuity for
hours after exercise, and it keeps you in a "healthy" frame
of mind. Many people tell me that daily exercise helps them
to make better food choices because it makes them feel like
they are doing something healthy for themselves.
Commit to doing at least 15 minutes, but
preferably 30 to 60 minutes everyday during the holidays.
-
Don't deprive yourself of those holiday
goodies that you enjoy. Tell yourself that you
can eat whatever you'd like to as long as it's
in moderation. For example, eat one Christmas
brownie instead of five. Take small bites of
that brownie, chew it well, savor every bite
so you can really enjoy the taste rather than
rushing to swallow it. The same for meals,
don't deprive yourself of the foods you enjoy
but eat them in moderation and savor every
bite.
-
Have lots of "healthy" foods available at
your home during the holidays. Make a big
fruit salad to keep in the frig when you need
a snack. Have some of your favorite veggies
ready to eat for when you're hungry. Make a
big salad and keep it ready to eat in the
frig.
-
Don't allow yourself to get too hungry. The
hungrier you are, the less control you have
over your eating. Always eat some healthy,
filling food before going to a party,
dinner, or any situation where you will be
exposed to lots of tempting food.
-
Strictly limit or avoid alcohol. Alcohol
is really bad news! I call it the "triple
whammy"! it depresses your metabolism,
stimulates your appetite, and it's loaded
with calories. Alcohol has as many calories
per gram as fat!
-
Exercise and visit with friends and family
that you're spending time with during the
holidays. Take a walk or go to the gym together.
It's a great time of fellowship and activity.
-
Take a walk after those delicious meals - to
burn off some of those calories, elevate your
metabolism, and restore your energy.
So, get energized with some daily exercise and
moderate food consumption, and REALLY enjoy
the holidays.. AND January 2. :)
Author and
exercise physiologist, Greg Landry, offers his free, "Fast,
Healthy Weight Loss" newsletter at his site:
http://www.Landry.com
MagicallySLIM
provides you with the right information, tools and resources
to lose and control your weight
while eating what you want to eat, when you want and as much
as you want and most importantly, automating your weight
management task at a subconscious level so you don't have to
consciously worry about it.
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