THE holidays are upon us and the struggle to battle the bulge is at fever-pitch. We know the drill only too well. Give up the good fight in December and promise ourselves to get fit when the new year begins. But do we ever?
Christmas parties are lined up in all their gustatory glory. The perfect setting for us to lose all control and expand our waistlines faster than you can say Santa Claus.
Here are five holiday tips to help get us through.
Taste everything—Yes, you read it right, taste everything that your palate desires. But, in small bite size portions. Totally depriving yourself of those delectable Christmas treats is surely not in the spirit of the season. Have a little of bit something, perhaps everything so your taste buds are satisfied. Bask in the euphoria of that palate tickler,then move on.
Learn to say no—This applies to yourself and to over-indulgent hosts. At times when you have two Christmas parties in one night, that doesn’t mean having to feast twice. When you are offered food, and more food, it’s OK to say no. Before we think that we are rejecting someone’s hospitality and kindness, remember, first and foremost we have to be kind to ourselves. And a good host will understand that.
Earn your eats—Eat more than what you burn. That’s the sure-fire path to weight-gain. However, if you exercise a big meal away, you stave off the excess pounds. If you anticipate a big Christmas dinner, for instance, neutralize it with an intense early morning run or weightlifting session. Since you will be loading up on calories, burn it on the same day. Do a hundred jumping jacks in front of that lechon (whole roasted pig) if you must.
Step on the scale—As the season progresses, weigh yourself every two or three days to see how far you have gone astray. Seeing that we are rapidly gaining weight from over-eating may somehow prompt us to hit on the brakes and lessen our holiday bingeing. Being aware that we are packing it on at a faster than usual pace should prod us to take the necessary measures to address the situation.
Ditch the liquid calories—Those delectable Christmas meals always come with sugar-laden sodas and iced teas to wash them down. As it is, keeping our calorie count low is already a struggle. Add to that those sugary drinks which go down quite easy and stealthily add to our holiday weight gain dilemma. Ditch the sugary drinks and go for a glass of water instead. Those empty, sugary calories we can surely do without.
The season of merry-making is fraught with roadblocks and pit-falls to our respective fitness destinations. Is it a lost cause? Only if we stop trying. Healthy holidays, everyone!
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