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18 Ways to Stay Healthy This Holiday Season
18 Ways to Stay Healthy This Holiday Season
By Melissa Sperl for Weigh****chers.com Hoping to shed some pounds during the holidays? No matter how motivated you are, 'tis probably not the season to make drastic changes to your routine. With all the lists you're making and checking twice, you barely have time to breathe, let alone think about adding a weight-loss or fitness plan to your to-dos. But that doesn't mean the holidays have to be an unhealthy time. In fact, it's important to keep long-term health goals in mind in the months ahead, even if there's no time yet to really start on them. If you ignore those goals altogether, says Karen Miller-Kovach, Chief Scientist for Weight Watchers International, they may be much harder to address -- mentally and physically -- after the New Year. "The 10 pounds you wanted to lose by Thanksgiving may seem like a hill, but the 18 pounds you'll face on January 1 (from overdoing during December) will feel like a mountain," she says. Have a Healthy Holiday! So your first step toward good holiday health: Don't use the season as an excuse to splurge. And the second is to always be on the lookout for ways to fit healthy behaviors into your life. Even in the hectic weeks ahead, there are steps you can take that will make it easier for you to tackle your weight-loss goals in the New Year. Challenge yourself to use these easy tricks: Always eat a healthy dinner before you go to a holiday party. "Don't go to a party wearing spacious clothes," suggests Josh Fink, MD, owner of Prescriptions For Fitness, a personal training studio in Ridgefield, Connecticut. Wear something slim-fitting, or pull your belt one notch tighter than it should be -- you will be much less likely to overeat. Bring "safe," healthy foods to potlucks. At appetizer tables, choose two or three of your favorites, put them on a napkin (try to avoid large plates, which you're likely to want to fill up), and then walk away. If there are fruits and veggies, load your plate with them first. Then find room for smaller portions of the high-calorie mains. Watch out for craving binges, says Fink, times when you feel guilty for overeating, then figure you might as well just eat as much as you can while you're at it. Remember: One meal is one meal. One day is one day. On the nights you decide to have a drink, limit yourself to one or two and don't indulge every night, says Fink. And choose wisely -- a gin and tonic has 155 calories for 7.5 fl oz, while the same size frozen strawberry daiquiri has a whopping 450 calories. If you are drinking, alternate alcoholic beverages with nonalcoholic, calorie-free ones, like flavored seltzer. Asking for wine spritzers, which are half wine and half seltzer, is a great way to limit the impact of the liquor. Drink extra water to help flush out the extra sodium you consume during rich meals, says Fink. No matter how busy you get, make time for a healthy breakfast. Eating a morning meal will help control cravings later on. If baked goods are your holiday weakness, consider hosting a cookie party: Everybody brings one batch of his or her favorite cookies, plus the recipe, and shares. This way, you and your family get a variety without having to bake loads. (For bonus points, challenge your guests to bring low-fat or low-calorie cookies.) Store healthy snacks at the front of your fridge and pantry, and go for them before you treat yourself to the splurge stuff. Just say "no" to holiday-colored packaged candies and cakes! So what if they're red and green or blue and white -- with all the homemade goodies hanging around, you don't need them. Streamline your grocery shopping with lists of the ingredients you'll need for a week's worth of quick, easy meals. This way, you won't be limited to last-minute convenience and fast foods during those nights when you're dashing around. Park as far away from stores and malls as you can, so you're forced to get in those extra minutes of walking. Online shopping is a great time-saver, but it means you lose out on the mall walking that usually goes with shopping. Make it up by figuring out exactly how much time you saved (say, 15 minutes per gift), and increasing your cardio that much for that week. On heavy-eating weeks, compensate for the extra food with more weight or resistance training. "It will increase the metabolic rate of the muscle tissue," says Fink. That means your body will be better prepared to handle the extra calories. Add health-related gifts to your wish list this year -- they could help make for a slimmer, healthier 2004! -- Steve º¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤º Steve Chaney Remove "kfc." to get my real email address |
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18 Ways to Stay Healthy This Holiday Season
Good ideas, Steve. Thanks for posting.
Cat "Steve Chaney, aka Papa Gunnykins ®" wrote in message ... 18 Ways to Stay Healthy This Holiday Season By Melissa Sperl for Weigh****chers.com Hoping to shed some pounds during the holidays? No matter how motivated you are, 'tis probably not the season to make drastic changes to your routine. With all the lists you're making and checking twice, you barely have time to breathe, let alone think about adding a weight-loss or fitness plan to your to-dos. But that doesn't mean the holidays have to be an unhealthy time. In fact, it's important to keep long-term health goals in mind in the months ahead, even if there's no time yet to really start on them. If you ignore those goals altogether, says Karen Miller-Kovach, Chief Scientist for Weight Watchers International, they may be much harder to address -- mentally and physically -- after the New Year. "The 10 pounds you wanted to lose by Thanksgiving may seem like a hill, but the 18 pounds you'll face on January 1 (from overdoing during December) will feel like a mountain," she says. Have a Healthy Holiday! So your first step toward good holiday health: Don't use the season as an excuse to splurge. And the second is to always be on the lookout for ways to fit healthy behaviors into your life. Even in the hectic weeks ahead, there are steps you can take that will make it easier for you to tackle your weight-loss goals in the New Year. Challenge yourself to use these easy tricks: Always eat a healthy dinner before you go to a holiday party. "Don't go to a party wearing spacious clothes," suggests Josh Fink, MD, owner of Prescriptions For Fitness, a personal training studio in Ridgefield, Connecticut. Wear something slim-fitting, or pull your belt one notch tighter than it should be -- you will be much less likely to overeat. Bring "safe," healthy foods to potlucks. At appetizer tables, choose two or three of your favorites, put them on a napkin (try to avoid large plates, which you're likely to want to fill up), and then walk away. If there are fruits and veggies, load your plate with them first. Then find room for smaller portions of the high-calorie mains. Watch out for craving binges, says Fink, times when you feel guilty for overeating, then figure you might as well just eat as much as you can while you're at it. Remember: One meal is one meal. One day is one day. On the nights you decide to have a drink, limit yourself to one or two and don't indulge every night, says Fink. And choose wisely -- a gin and tonic has 155 calories for 7.5 fl oz, while the same size frozen strawberry daiquiri has a whopping 450 calories. If you are drinking, alternate alcoholic beverages with nonalcoholic, calorie-free ones, like flavored seltzer. Asking for wine spritzers, which are half wine and half seltzer, is a great way to limit the impact of the liquor. Drink extra water to help flush out the extra sodium you consume during rich meals, says Fink. No matter how busy you get, make time for a healthy breakfast. Eating a morning meal will help control cravings later on. If baked goods are your holiday weakness, consider hosting a cookie party: Everybody brings one batch of his or her favorite cookies, plus the recipe, and shares. This way, you and your family get a variety without having to bake loads. (For bonus points, challenge your guests to bring low-fat or low-calorie cookies.) Store healthy snacks at the front of your fridge and pantry, and go for them before you treat yourself to the splurge stuff. Just say "no" to holiday-colored packaged candies and cakes! So what if they're red and green or blue and white -- with all the homemade goodies hanging around, you don't need them. Streamline your grocery shopping with lists of the ingredients you'll need for a week's worth of quick, easy meals. This way, you won't be limited to last-minute convenience and fast foods during those nights when you're dashing around. Park as far away from stores and malls as you can, so you're forced to get in those extra minutes of walking. Online shopping is a great time-saver, but it means you lose out on the mall walking that usually goes with shopping. Make it up by figuring out exactly how much time you saved (say, 15 minutes per gift), and increasing your cardio that much for that week. On heavy-eating weeks, compensate for the extra food with more weight or resistance training. "It will increase the metabolic rate of the muscle tissue," says Fink. That means your body will be better prepared to handle the extra calories. Add health-related gifts to your wish list this year -- they could help make for a slimmer, healthier 2004! -- Steve º¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤º Steve Chaney Remove "kfc." to get my real email address |
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18 Ways to Stay Healthy This Holiday Season
Thanks Steve! These are great ideas!
My daughter and I have already had a discussion about how we were going to handle the family Thanksgiving dinner. Luckily, it's not my year to cook! g But hey, Thanksgiving means turkey so I think we'll be okay. I am going to grab one of the recipes for a dessert here and make it in order to take something 'safe' with us. Might help us to avoid the pumpkin pies, stuffing and candied yams! J Costello 243/235/150 Oct 25, 2003 |
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18 Ways to Stay Healthy This Holiday Season
My game plan is rather simple.
I'm going to eat turkey, the veggies, the salad - lots of the above. I will allow 1 soop of taters and stuffing .. which will be about 2 - 3 tablespoons each I will indulge in pumpkin pie . it's my mother's and it's GREAT .. but will only have a SMALL piece! if and only if, I have room for it. Not sure if they are doing cranberries, but my aunt and grandmother know I'm on atkins and will be sure to tell me what was done with flour, sugar, et al. But I will find plenty to eat with the turkey and veggies! -- Kitty =^..^= 168/156.6/130 - November Goal 155 17 September 03 |
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18 Ways to Stay Healthy This Holiday Season
Ignoramus967 wrote:
Eat less. Exercise more. well that too .. or how about sticking with your current regime if you are already exercising 5 x a week -- Kitty =^..^= 168/156.6/130 - November Goal 155 17 September 03 caloric needs visit http://www.femalemuscle.com/nutrition/calculate.html |
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18 Ways to Stay Healthy This Holiday Season
"Ignoramus967" wrote in message ... Here's the way to stay healthy during this holiday season. Eat less. Exercise more. ;-) |
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18 Ways to Stay Healthy This Holiday Season
Qilt wrote:
My game plan is rather simple. I'm going to eat turkey, the veggies, the salad - lots of the above. I will allow 1 soop of taters and stuffing .. which will be about 2 - 3 tablespoons each I will indulge in pumpkin pie . it's my mother's and it's GREAT .. but will only have a SMALL piece! if and only if, I have room for it. Not sure if they are doing cranberries, but my aunt and grandmother know I'm on atkins and will be sure to tell me what was done with flour, sugar, et al. But I will find plenty to eat with the turkey and veggies! I'm going to have one slice of pie. I don't know how much I'll be able to LC it. I MAY make a small batch of SF cranberry sauce. That's it for the carby things for me. I don't need any of the rest and will be perfectly content without those things. I am debating about whether I want to eat out or not. -- Jean B. |
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18 Ways to Stay Healthy This Holiday Season
Ignoramus967 wrote:
well that too .. or how about sticking with your current regime if you are already exercising 5 x a week Would be a beautiful idea! TY -- Kitty =^..^= 168/156.6/130 - November Goal 155 17 September 03 caloric needs visit http://www.femalemuscle.com/nutrition/calculate.html |
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18 Ways to Stay Healthy This Holiday Season
Jean B. wrote:
I'm going to have one slice of pie. I don't know how much I'll be able to LC it. I MAY make a small batch of SF cranberry sauce. That's it for the carby things for me. I don't need any of the rest and will be perfectly content without those things. I am debating about whether I want to eat out or not. Sounds like a wonderful game plan! I know you will do great!! See thanksgiving will be great! It also helps a LOT that I've got about 6 weeks under my belt of lc .. makes it easier since I KNOW what will happen if I don't stick to those guidelines I see someone eating a burger with a bun, and the idea almost nauseates me! -- Kitty =^..^= 168/156.6/130 - November Goal 155 17 September 03 caloric needs visit http://www.femalemuscle.com/nutrition/calculate.html |
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