friday::FITNESS

How to Not Jiggle All the Weigh: Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain

The average adult gains 7-12 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years Day.

YIKES! That's around a pound a week!

Here are a few things you can avoid to help you stay the same size through­out the hol­i­day season.

1) DON’T skip your work­out.

We know. The most wonderful time of the year is often the most stressful time of the year. Did you know that exercise has been proven to reduce stress? You need your workout now more than ever! Get a work­out buddy and hold each other account­able. You could also mix up your rou­tine to avoid bor­dom — try a new class, give yourself a gift of a a new home workout program, etc.

2) DON’T skip break­fast.

Knowing of an evening party, many peo­ple will skip break­fast as an attempt cut calo­ries. WRONG! Eat­ing a healthy break­fast (oat­meal, egg white omlet with fresh veg­gies, whole wheat toast and low fat yogurt) at the begin­ning of the day starts your metab­o­lism and will pre­vent you from overeat­ing later in the day. Those who con­sis­tently eat break­fast con­sis­tently weigh less than those who skip the most impor­tant meal of the day.

3) DON’T eat only fat and carbs.

Most Christ­mas good­ies (gin­ger­bread cook­ies, candy canes, hot choco­late, etc.) are full of refined sug­ars and unhealthy fats. These are also the nutri­ents that make you feel even more hun­gry than you did before you ate some­thing! Fill up with lean pro­tein first to help con­trol cravings.

4) DON’T eat straight from a bowl.

When you get to those hol­i­day gath­er­ings, take the time to put every­thing that you eat on a plate. If you nib­ble straight from the dish, you will mis-judge por­tion size and be in trou­ble before you know it! Try and fill your plate with veg­gies and lean pro­tein. Only allow a small place on the place for treats. (Addi­tional tip: Try using the dessert plate instead of the din­ner plate. It’s smaller, and it will help you with por­tion control.)

5) DON’T eat treats that you like.

Only splurge for those treats that you love. If you just like them, you don’t need them.

6) DON’T let ignorance be bliss.

Weigh in reg­u­larly this month so you can see how you’re doing. If you pre­fer to mon­i­tor a dif­fer­ent way, get your favorite pair of pants that make you feel healthy and fit. Try them on every other morn­ing to see how they fit.

7) DON’T go to a party hun­gry.

The worst thing you can do is arrive at a party fam­ished! Because you know there will be LOTS of unhealthy options, and very few items that fit into your nutri­tion plan, try eat­ing a bowl of broth-based soup or a salad before you go. That way, you already have some healthy nutri­ents in you, and you’ve knocked the hunger edge off so you don’t devour every unhealthy food in sight.

8) DON’T eat the whole thing.

Most of the time, you can sat­isfy a crav­ing with just a few bites. Instead of eat­ing a whole piece of pie, split a piece with your spouse.

9) DON’T eat for speed.

Slow down your eat­ing, and savor every bite. You don’t indulge every day. Take the time to enjoy it! Plus, the longer you take, the longer your stom­ach has to real­ize that you’re full, and you can avoid overeating.

10) DON’T beat your­self up if you mess up one time.

If you go to a party and overeat, don’t use that as an excuse to let your­self go for the whole sea­son. Get up the next day, go to the gym, and make a healthy food choice at the next meal. No one expects you to be perfect!

Michelle Myers is going to have fit and healthy before you know it! You can connect with Michelle Myers Online, Twitter, Facebook, Myers Cross Training and be sure to check out her latest book The Look that Kills: An Anorexic's Addiction to Control (2010)!

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