7 tips to survive the holidays
If you read my last column, you might have noticed I had some fun playing around and changing The Twelve Days of Christmas to The 12 Pounds of Christmas.
I’m certain that although most people had a good chuckle, for a lot of folks out there, gaining weight every year is something that has become another holiday tradition. Time to break tradition.
Whether you’re calling it the “holiday 10-15,” “filling out the Santa suit,” “storing up for winter” or “12 pounds of Christmas,” the fact remains most people tend to put on a few (or quite a few) pounds over the holidays, and many of those pounds end up getting comfortable and finding a home somewhere around your mid-section. January rolls around, diets begin, some weight is lost, and as soon as you start feeling a little better about yourself, you throw in the towel with the last few pounds still hanging on.
Over time, un-shed pounds can really add up until one day you realize it’s all you filling out that Santa suit. Yikes! If this is or has been you, stay with me as we go through seven simple tips you can use to set yourself up to win with your weight through the Christmas season.
1. EAT A BALANCED BREAKFAST
Skipping breakfast and grabbing that muffin on your way to work starts your day with a carb spike, subsequent fat storage and an energy crash mid-morning. Whereas the simple act of eating a balanced protein-fat-carb breakfast within the first hour of waking up stabilizes blood sugar, allows your body to burn fat, gives you energy and sets the tone for health for the rest of the day.
2. NEVER SHOP HUNGRY
If you have to do your shopping on the fly on the way home from work or in between dropping off and picking up the kids, carry a protein bar in your purse and have that before heading in.
Not only will you be more inclined to stick to your list and not impulse buy, you’ll also be able to keep walking past all those sugary samples offered at the end of each aisle, too.
3. NEVER ARRIVE HUNGRY
Having a small, balanced meal, protein shake or bar before heading to the party will make sure you’re able to choose what you put in your mouth upon arrival, rather than letting your grumbling stomach lead you to the chips, bread or goodies as soon as you arrive.
4. STAY HYDRATED
Regardless of the temperature outside, our bodies still need to stay hydrated. Drinking about 3 litres per day will help flush out fat and bloat – especially helpful when consumed before and after any adult bevvies.
5. PAIR ALCOHOL WITH FOOD
Alcohol behaves the same as bread when it comes to blood sugar in that it causes a spike and subsequent fat storage. Having a drink or two with you meal and avoiding the breads and other starchy carbs (rice, pasta, potato) means you can balance the alcohol, minimize any carb spike and prevent fat storage.
Who doesn’t want that?
6. PICK A PLAN
Decide ahead of time if you will be sticking to your guns and eating PFC or if this is the meal you’re going off plan.
When you decide to go off-plan, remember we don’t call it cheating: this is life, and we don’t cheat at life.
Be choosy. Indulging in extras just because they are there will leave you feeling unsatisfied and disappointed in yourself, even though you had decided ahead of time to go off plan. Check out the treats and take only something you have been dying to try, or is your absolute favourite.
You will feel satisfied with less, you will enjoy it more and you’re less likely to add extra weight. Win!
7. HAVE SECONDS
To keep our blood sugar stabilized and burning fat, we need to fuel every three to four hours. By enjoying a modest-sized serving of turkey and the fixin’s, your body will be able to metabolize and use up what you fed it, leaving you ready to eat again in three hours. If you loved it once, have seconds! Still balanced and by having two small meals rather than one enormous one, you won’t store fat and you get to have your favs twice.
Amidst all the excitement and celebrating, Christmas dinner really is just one day. One meal on one day. When you think about it logically, how can something you do once in the entire year cause you to derail so badly? Simple, it can’t.
If dieting has been one of your holiday traditions, this year, I invite to apply the seven tips to your holiday feasting and festivities and start a new tradition of health.
Tania Gustafson is one of only five nutritionists and fitness coaches licensed and certified in Canada. She coaches a program of blood sugar stabilization, not diets, to achieve weight loss and health goals. You are invited to contact her for your complimentary health assessment by going online to fuelignitethrive.com or emailing her at tania@fuelignitethrive.com.