Don't Lose Focus During the Holidays: Continue to Eat Healthy and Exercise, NO EXCUSES!

We have marked the beginning of the “holiday” season with our Thanksgiving feast and now are moving onward into the crux of holiday party season. Most studies estimate that the average weight gain between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is about one pound. While that does not seem like a lot, it is, considering that most Americans don’t ever lose that pound and the weight is gained in just a little over one month. In order to help prevent the weight gain and just to stay healthy during this time, I preach five main things:

1.. Practice mindful eating

By eating mindfully, you should be aware of EVERYTHING you are putting in your mouth. I tell all my clients to THINK before you eat anything, no matter what it is! Each truffle of chocolate will be about 80 calories, each cookie is approximately 100 calories, and each ounce of cheese is over 100 calories. So, at a party if you eat a cube of cheese, one chocolate chip cookie, and a piece of chocolate, you are already in almost 300 calories without even having any other hors d'oeuvres, your meal, or any alcohol.

2. Stay physically active EVERY day

You should be doing some cardiovascular activity every single day of your life. You should never have off days, especially during a time when you may be indulging more so than other times of year. Some people use lack of time due to work as an excuse not to exercise, so certainly don’t use your vacation days as an excuse either- otherwise you will never exercise! Vacation days allow you plenty of time (24 hours) to travel, visit family, relax, and EXERCISE! No matter where you may be going, do some research and figure out ways you can get in exercise. Even if it is just a brisk walk around your aunt’s neighborhood, that counts. Try to get in more intense exercise if possible- jog, jump rope, do jumping jacks and burpees, pack a workout DVD or go on You Tube, do something!!! Using your muscles is incredibly important, especially after you eat, to reduce the rise in blood sugar which will help prevent cell damage and fat storage.

3. Continue to eat 90% healthy

My rule with clients is that you should eat healthy/clean 90% of the time, and allow yourself some “wiggle room” 10% of the time- meaning that you should be allowed to have a piece of chocolate, drink a glass of wine, or try a small piece of your mom’s lasagna if that’s what really makes you happy. This rule should not go out the door during the holidays. Sure, there are foods that are special to you during the holidays and bring back good feelings, but the more you eat of them doesn’t correlate with the better you’ll feel (it’s often the reverse). So yes, you can eat them… in small quantities! There is no reason why 1 normal slice of pie will make you any happier than two bites- many studies show the first bite is when your brain lights up and is most excited about the flavor. This is called sensory specific satiety, which basically means that food gives you decreased pleasure as you continue to eat the same thing. So again, practice mindful eating and notice when you are eating just to eat and not actually enjoying it!

4.  Don’t plan on dieting in the New Year

Allowing yourself to go crazy and eat whatever even just one day a week sets you up for failure since it can really pack on the calories. Furthermore, many people report to me that it then causes them to crave bad foods like sugar and fatty dishes for a few days after. If you spend a whole month eating poorly, you can gain weight, but more importantly, you are harming your body- some studies show just one meal can markedly increase blood lipid levels, and a high carb intake can raise triglycerides. Again, high blood sugar damages cells, so during this time you will be experience more cell damage and accelerated aging. Putting things off in the future for what you can do now is never a good idea. You will feel healthy and energetic if you eat healthy, so why not do something that makes you feel good instead feeling like a slug? Refer to my blog from last year on how to prevent weight gain during the holidays.

5.  Limit alcohol intake

Most parties are centered on alcohol, but for some reason, holiday parties and dinners tend to highlight some of the most calorie dense varieties. For example, hot cider is usually a mix of apple cider (1 cup= 120 calories) with at least a shot of whiskey or rum (minimum 100 calories) and many have added brandy, sugar, and/or honey which contributes even more calories. Egg nog is pretty terrible for you with about 350 calories per cup, over half your daily value of saturated fat, and over 20 grams of sugar… WITHOUT the alcohol! Add a shot, and your tacking on another 100 calories. Even if wine is your preferred beverage choice, it is still more calorie dense than drinking a can of coke (12 fl oz wine ~ 300 calories, 12 fl oz Coca Cola ~ 140 calories). I am not advocating you drink soda instead, but just be aware that wine is not your weight loss friend. For more about alcohol, read my previous blogs on wine  and alcohol.

So this holiday season, treat each day as a normal day where you should eat healthy and exercise. Sure, have a special treat or a drink here and there, but don't throw out the whole month of December as an excuse to pack on the pounds. It's a lot easier to eat a cookie than burn it off- so each extra cookie, drink, cheese cube, etc. will just make your life come January harder. Think before you eat and try to stay on track- no need to throw all your hard work out the window because it's holiday season. Many of my clients do not gain weight during this time, and some actually lose- so it is possible!

References:

1.    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?cmd=retrieve&list_uids=10727591&dopt=AbstractPlus

2.    http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666308005746