Don’t Stuff More Weight Into Your Stockings!

    The holidays are a time to celebrate the relationships of friends, families, and those for whom we care. The typical scenario usually surrounds the event of eating, drinking and being merry! We usually attend a cornucopia of parties, get-togethers, and holiday celebrations that pass hors d’oeuvres, glasses of wines, and other various “finger foods” right under our proverbial noses. The temptation to eat overcomes us lest we become the pariah of the party!  Therefore, it is commonplace etiquette and proper to enjoy the offerings of our host and be thankful for having received the invite.

    HOWEVER…this etiquette does not come without a price. That price can be an overload of additional calories that we do not account for in our daily regimen, and that excess leads to unwanted pounds. This means that we must be mindful of our food intake, not only for the day, but the total number of days in a given week that we are straying from “healthy habits.”  

    To combat this – and at risk of providing advice that may or may not contradict your current health requirements – consider the following as “guidance,” and not firm prescription (as everyone’s particular scenario may call for individualized directives.)

• Watch the carbohydrates intake:  When we overload carbohydrates into our system, they will need to be broken down into a simpler form (glucose) and stored in the body’s liver, muscles/cells, and blood. The body can only store so many “carbs” and one can easily overload the body, causing a bloating feeling and increasing the likelihood of storing itself as fats in the blood or in cells.  

• Solution: REDUCE CARBS INTAKE the day BEFORE the event and the day of the event.  For approximately 36 hours, keep your meals/intake to vegetables, lean proteins, and fibrous forms of carbohydrates that tend to pass through the body indigested. (Look for labels that have a larger percentage of the carbohydrate calories that come from Fiber.)  This way, your body will be required to “empty” some of the body’s carbohydrate storage allowing room for new glucose to be stored (from your party’s simple carbohydrate intake.)  This will not solve your “world’s problems,” but at least, you will reduce the likelihood of overloading your body with sugar and calories that may become new and unwanted extra pounds!

• DRINK WATER BEFORE YOU EAT: Before going to your event, drink 8-16oz of warm water. The water will fill your stomach, signaling your brain that you are “full.”  That way, you will (likely) consume LESS total calories overall.

• STICK TO THE PROTEIN OFFERINGS: How about shrimp with a touch of cocktail sauce? Vegetables (like celery and tomatoes) with a side of crackers and a hint of dip? If you stick more to the crunchy vegetables (like peppers and celery,) you can balance your carbohydrate intake with a glass of wine or two without throwing your whole week out of whack!

• EXERCISE THAT MORNING: Hit the bike or eliptical! At a minimum, if you can burn 250-350 calories in the morning, you can offset the extra intake that is inevitable at the party you are going to that night. You won’t make any extra headway in your fitness goals, but maybe you won’t get far behind either!?

    The holidays are a challenging time for fitness go-ers and those people attempting to control weight or avoid temptation. However, you can have your cake (AND also eat it) if you leverage a little bit of strategy and a little bit of exercise until the New Year Resolutions kick in and you need to really dive into your disciplined fitness programming.  

    In the meantime, enjoy your December with family and friends. You may not combat your weight loss goals this month, but at least you will have a measured balance of naughty and nice!