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Wow!
It’s hard to believe that the end of the year just around the corner! I know that this
has been a tough year for a lot of people. I also know a lot of people who have
taken the time and energy this year to get into the best shape of their lives.
We cannot control the things around us, but we can control how we react to them
and what type of attitude we will adopt.
This month I want to help you survive the holidays without starving yourself
or making you feel that it is impossible to enjoy the holidays without eating
and drinking like a pig.
Rule #1. Drink more water than you normally do. When the cold
weather hits it is much harder to drink water. This will increase the chance of
dehydration. Hunger pangs can sometimes be a sign of dehydration.
Rule #2. Stay clear from the work lunch room. Vendors like to
deliver cookies, fudge, cakes, pies and other fat filled treats. If you are a
vendor who delivers goodies for the holidays, how about a fruit or veggie tray?
Rule #3. Exercise, exercise and exercise. Exercise will increase
the beta endorphins and dopamine in the brain. If you are feeling a little blue
during the holiday season, exercise will certainly help. Exercise will also keep
you from eating too much. With that said, don’t believe for a minute that just
because you exercised you can pound the beers and eat two servings of dessert.
Rule #4. Cut down on the booze. In order to make the holidays more
festive, alcohol does not need to be such a main staple. Each gram of alcohol
has 7 calories and yields no energy. So, that is why they call it a beer belly!
Who ever knew!!! Not to mention the fact if you drink and drive you could kill
somebody. If you get caught driving while drunk it will cost you over $10,000.
That is a lot of personal training sessions!!! If you are going to drink, make
sure you have a designated driver. Have a glass of water at all times and for
every glass of alcohol, drink two glasses of water.
Rule #5. Eat at home as much as possible. I promise you that food
prepared at home is lower in calories and tastes better than most restaurants.
Eat a healthy meal at home, then when you go to a holiday party the focus can be
on the friends/family/co-worker instead of the crappy food that is being served.
Rule #6. Plan an exit strategy. Since most holiday parties are at
night and you need to go to work the next day, plan ahead of time how late you
want to stay and stick to it. Don’t disrupt your normal sleep patterns.
Rule #7. While watching sports on television, ride an exercise
bike, treadmill or do any other type of exercise. If you don’t have any exercise
equipment, you can do crunches, push ups, or jog in place during the
commercials.
Rule #8. No second helpings! Do I really need to explain this?
Rule #9. Wash your hands on a very regular basis (encourage the
kids to do the same). Nothing makes the holiday season horrible more than
getting sick. Think about all the hand shaking and sharing of utensils (yuck).
Rule #10. If you are fortunate to have enough food available to
gain weight over the holiday season, please remember the folks out there who do
not have enough to eat and go to bed hungry. I would hope that many of you can
donate to your church or favorite charity. Here are just a few websites:
http://denverrescuemission.org/index.html
http://www.jeffcoac.org/
https://www.arvadacommunityfoodbank.org/
www.salvationarmyusa.org
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