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Home Page | Spotlight exercise | Food for Thought | Article Archive
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Ready or not, the long and happy holiday season is upon us. A mix of family and friends, parties and shopping, decorating, cooking, baking and most of all, overeating can cause a substantial weight gain and loss off fitness. It�s more than a sixty day battling against bingeing and a tendency to overindulge, as well as a rude interruption of your daily workout routine. It begins with Halloween and ends with New Years. Who doesn't still have a pumpkin shaped bowl of �fun size� snicker and mounds bars enticing them on every trip into the kitchen?
Sandwiched in between is Thanksgiving with all its fat-boy trimmings that include a taste or two of eggnog, cracking open lots of nuts and warm pumpkin pie with fresh whipped cream. Next comes Christmas Eve. At my house it�s starts out with appetizer heaven, my mother's mouth-watering lasagna riddled with cheese, all the meats from the gravy, and more delectable desserts than one could ever dream of. And just when you thought you couldn�t fit another bite, Good morning! --it�s Christmas Day. Still stuffed from the night before, it�s time to open gifts, gobble down bagels with cream cheese, and one or two gooey bakery buns. A few short hours later, an antipasto that would make any Italian deli blush, a roast bigger than a small dog, and not only left over desserts from Christmas Eve, but new, even tastier treats. With New Years Eve and New Years Day festivities only a week away� help!!! The average American gains approximately five to seven pounds during these fun, but high anxiety (and calorie) times. It doesn�t have to be that way. Instead of waiting for that promise of a New Years resolution, formulate a plan today. Be wise and treat yourself to some of those fine tasting holiday treats but at the same time apply the rule of moderation. Watch portion size and picking throughout the day. Not every taste has to be more than just a mouthful, and not every meal has to end with you unbuttoning your pants. Watch your intake of food on the days surrounding the holidays. Perhaps cut out some of the fried and fattier meals, and fill up with fresh vegetables, juicy fruits and leaner cuts of meat. Drink lots more water, and eliminate snacking on junky snacks between meals. Pour skim milk over your cereal, low-fat mayo and peanut butter on your sandwiches, and omit as much butter and fat from your diet as you can. Make it a rule to only eat when you�re hungry. Keeping a diary of everything you put into your mouth is a proven formula for success! Charting food intake is a great way to keep you aware of what you�re consuming during the holidays and helps improve your everyday eating habits. It ensures steady progress and continued success in reaching and maintaining dietary goals. Watch what you eat and begin to keep a food diary today. The holidays won�t have a snowball�s chance in hell to plump you up. Next, and equally important, DON'T STOP EXERCISING! Stay in charge and if your busy holiday schedule or fatigue keeps you from your plan, don't be too hard on yourself. Simply move forward and exercise on your next available day. In order to save time, stay with multi-muscle strength movements to maintain or sculpt your physique. The Firefighter's Workout Book can provide you with an easy-to-understand, user-friendly exercises that can get you started right now. Another smart move is to keep a daily workout log. The Firefighter�s Workout Daily Log Book will help you keep track of the muscles you�ve trained, exercises performed, amount of weight lifted, in addition to, the number of sets and repetitions completed. It also aids in monitoring heart rate, time and distance during cardio routines, and makes it difficult to skip that important flexibility segment of your workout. The Firefighter�s Workout Daily Log Book comes with easy to read instructions and a 3 to 6 months supply of daily logs (at 3 to 6 workouts per week). Go to: Daily Workout Log Book As an added benefit, exercise alleviates stress, helps you sleep better, and enhances your mood as well as sex life. A word to the wise, be cautious of your intake of alcoholic beverages. There are a bunch of unwanted calories here. Enjoy yourself within bounds, but be safe. If you maintain your weight and physical appearance during this quick moving holiday season, you'll get the gift of a healthier, toned and lean body, as well as the reward of a more youthful life style that comes with renewed confidence and the happy anticipation of summer. Happy holidays.
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Holiday Eating