12 Proven Ways to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

Even though we are in the midst of “the most wonderful time of the year”, for some it is not so wonderful due to increased stress and the usual weight gain. 

Did you know studies show that the average American gains 1-2 lbs over the holiday season?  This usually becomes permanent baggage and year by year contributes to being overweight or obese later in life.

It’s probably unanimous that no one wants to be on a strict diet during the holidays. Instead we would like to enjoy the bounty of our traditional favorite foods.  So how can we still enjoy the holidays without gaining extra holiday cheer?  It’s actually not so hard with a little planning and good decision making.

Check out the following 12 tip and strategies below to avoid holiday weight gain.

 

Start your day off with protein. 

Eating a protein-rich breakfast will help you fill full longer, help stave off unhealthy snacking, and give you more energy for your daily demands.  Plus you will be more likely to complete that daily exercise goal you may have been putting on the back burner.

Work off the stress.

If you are like most people, the stress of the holidays inevitable gets to you.  If you are feeling the pressure and anxiety of the holidays, take it to the gym.  Studies have shown that it will not only relieve your stress of the moment or day, but also help you control anxiety when faced with stressful situations down the road.

Make fitness as convenient as possible.

The holidays can be some of the busiest time of the year, so make your fitness routine convenient as possible.  This way you can stick to your goals when your schedule is tight.  Have a backup plan when you can’t make it to the gym.  Try a body weight workout you can do at home or some exercise DVDs.   Any workout is better than no workout.

Find exercise in your daily activities.

If you can’t find time to hit the gym, make sure you incorporate as much activity in your day as you can.  Park further away, ride your bike to work, find ways to stay active with your daily chores.  The key is to move as much as possible, avoiding a sedentary life.

 Be an early bird.

You most likely will have little to no distractions during the early hours of the day.  Start your day off right by getting your blood flowing and knocking your workout out early.  The evening trip to the gym is sometimes challenging after a busy, stressful day.  By scheduling a morning workout not only with you have more energy throughout the day, but you will less likely skip your workout.

Make a plan and put it in your calendar.

Determining a weekly or monthly workout plan by writing it down makes it official and more likely that you will stick to it.  Also by writing out your workouts you can plan ahead for stressful and less stressful days.  For example, if Mondays are too busy, make it a rest day.  If you have more time on Saturday mornings, make it a longer workout.

Walk and Talk.

Try multitasking to fit in some exercise on a tight schedule.  Instead of sending an email, pick up the phone and make a call while you walk around.  Walking 1 mile can burn roughly 75-85 calories, depending on your speed, weight, and gender.  Cell phones offer the convenience of moving around, so take advantage of it.

Grab a workout buddy.

Enlisting a friend or spouse will keep you motivated and consistent.  It is harder to cancel on someone who is counting on you.  Try pairing up with someone with similar or even a higher fitness level than you and is also reliable.  This will help push you a little bit.

Join a team.

Joining a sports team usually takes minimal time out of your schedule.  Not only will you be working out with a greater intensity, but will have fun doing it.  Look into a local community basketball, flag football, or soccer team.  Your weekly game can be a fun hobby that takes the “work” out of your workout.

Include your whole family.

Instead of taking time away from your family for your workout, bring them along.  Try going on a hike together or going to a gym to play some active games like tag, relay races or some other creative competition.  You could also go to a local park and do a “playground workout” while your kids play.

Give and Take.

It is nearly impossible to avoid all the holiday temptations, and you shouldn’t completely.  However, you shouldn’t jeopardize good health either.  Make sure you are making up for the extra calories with extra workout time, or less food and treats on the next meal.  Be mindful of your extra calories, so you can make up the difference.  

Invest time and money.

Making an investment in a new workout class or exercise hobby will help you stay on track and make your fitness goals a priority over the holiday.  There are countless options from Zumba to Pilates, kickboxing, or spin class.

 

6 Powerful Health-Boosting Foods

As you may have heard, it’s recommended that you get your nutrients from whole foods rather than supplements. Eat a wide variety of delicious fresh foods in a rainbow of colors to get the maximum antioxidants and other disease-fighting nutrients. A few foods are true standouts, packing in exceptional amounts of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, including plant compounds called phytochemicals that can help to lower your risk of numerous ailments, including cancer and heart disease. Here are some top nutrient-packed foods to incorporate into your meal plans.


1.     Tomatoes: Studies show that eating tomato products may reduce prostate cancer risk, and the
US Food and Drug Administration now allows tomatoes and tomato-based products, like tomato sauce, to carry that health claim. The key ingredient: a powerful antioxidant called lycopene, also found in pink and red grapefruit and guava.

2.     Spinach and other dark leafy greens: Research shows that eating dark leafy greens, like spinach, kale and Swiss chard (which are technically cruciferous vegetables), may help maintain good health by reducing one’s risk of heart disease and stroke, some cancers and several other illnesses. Dark leafy greens are rich in beta-carotene, folate, and vitamins C, E, and K, which help protect against free radicals (unstable molecules that can damage cells). Regularly eating dark leafy greens may help to lower blood pressure and cholesterol and promote normal eyesight.

3.     Walnuts: Like all nuts, walnuts are a great source of protein, fiber and healthy fats. Unlike other nuts, however, walnuts are high in heart-healthy omega-3 oils, which have been shown to have antioxidant properties. Enjoy up to 15 walnuts a day as part of your nut/seed allotment. Other sources of omega-3s include flaxseed and, of course, oily fish, like salmon and sardines.

4.     Blueberries: Studies show that a number of compounds in blueberries, including pigment-producing anthocyanins, are powerful in helping prevent cancer. Anthocyanins may also protect against hypertension (high blood pressure). In addition, blueberries may help prevent cataracts and the short-term memory loss associated with aging. Other berries have antioxidants in smaller quantities.

5.     Pomegranates: These fruits are high in flavonoids, which are antioxidants also found in red wine and cocoa. Recent studies show that pomegranate juice may help protect against heart disease.

6.     Sweet potatoes: An outstanding source of carotenoids (including beta-carotene), as well as vitamin C, calcium and potassium, sweet potatoes can help reduce LDL cholesterol, lower high blood pressure, fight cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, and boost your resistance to colds and infections. Other good sources of beta-carotene are carrots and apricots.

Source:
http://www.southbeachdiet.com/sbd/publicsite/six-superfoods.aspx?xid=nl_TheSouthBeachDietTMNewsletter_20110324

Diets vs. Exercise: Which Is More Effective?

The mechanics of weight loss seem pretty simple: Burn more calories than you consume. So why are there so many contradicting theories and opinions on how to achieve weight loss? One specific area of confusion is which is more important for weight loss—diet or exercise.  Certainly using both leads to the greatest success, but does either diet or exercise have a greater impact than the other?

To help answer this question we can look to members of the National Weight Control Registry. This group consists of people who have lost significant weight and kept it off successfully for a minimum of one year. Of these successful individuals, 89% use a combination of diet and exercise, 10% have had success using diet alone, and 1% use exercise alone.  These numbers definitely demonstrate the importance of using both diet and exercise for weight-loss success.

Another statistic that helps shed some light on the question is that only about 5% of dieters are successful maintaining long-term weight loss. Most people experience “weight cycling,” regaining about one-third of the weight being within 1 year and the rest of the weight within 3–5 years.

Photo Credit: Lululemon Athletica

So diet alone may not be a long term solution. But what about exercise? Well, exercise might not be the end-all either. Consider how much easier it is to consume a meal at a restaurant (which averages 1,000–1,500 calories) than to run 10–15 miles (an average-size person burns 100 calories/mile). It is much less demanding, time-consuming, and tiresome to pay attention to what you are eating. However, exercise improves your fitness, increases your metabolism, increases energy, improves mood and helps to fight diabetes. So there are many benefits to exercise that definitely help in the weight-loss battle.

Also, it is important to remember when trying to fight the battle of the bulge that most people overestimate the amount of calories they are burning by about 30% and underestimates the amount of calories they are consuming by about 30%. So keeping track of your activity and your food intake is important and very helpful for weight-loss success.

The method for achieving weight loss is simple. The method is known as “energy balance.” Simply stated, you will lose weight when you burn more calories than you consume. The best way to do this is by combining a diet and exercise. In other words, to improve your health and lose weight, eat less and exercise more.
Do you have a personal experience with diet and exercise? Sound off below!
Sources:

• WebMd: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/exercise-and-weight-loss-five-truths?page=3
• The National Weight Control Registry: www.nwcr.ws
• About.com: www.exercise.about.com/od/weightloss/a/shortcuts.htm
• Women’s Health Magazine: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/exercise-and-diet