The Best Weight Loss New Year’s Resolutions Start NOW!
It’s that time of year again; the holiday season is soon upon us. That means, as well as good cheer, good food is abundant! The holidays are also the time that people put on the most weight and keep it on throughout the year.
You may be thinking “No problem; I’ll just enjoy myself and come January, I’ll go on that diet I’ve been talking about. That’s when I will finally lose the extra belly weight that has been creeping up over the past few years.”
Yeah, NO!
If you think this plan is going to get the seal of approval from me – sorry, but I have a strict no excuses policy!
Every year millions of people make New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, thinking the fresh start that the New Year brings is the optimal time. However, waiting for the New Year is just another excuse that ultimately allows you to procrastinate taking charge of your health even further. Even worse, because you have it in your head that you’re going to “diet” in the New Year, you will allow yourself to overindulge even more. This mindset will ultimately make your weight loss goal that much more difficult to attain!
Let me give it to you straight, there is never going to be an “ideal” time to make the nutrition and lifestyle changes required to lose the weight and get healthy once and for all. There will always (that’s a promise) be a birthday party, anniversary, vacation or another Christmas with the family that you can use as your excuse.
Let’s get something straight. Diets don’t work! Losing weight and getting healthy is a lifestyle choice, that means you need to continue to do it forever. Let me be very clear, that means that ANYTHING you do to lose weight that you can’t continue to do for the rest of your life is a diet and will not stick, I promise. (yep, another promise)
So this year, instead of procrastination, you’re going to do the best you can, right here, right NOW!
To help you get started, the following are my top five tips on how to make it through the holidays without gaining weight, and bonus , they will also help you get a head start on becoming a healthy new you TODAY!
1) Don’t “save” calories!
Many people believe that they should skip meals prior to a big holiday party in an attempt to prevent weight gain. This is probably the worst thing you can do! By skipping meals, you are only setting yourself up to overeat at the party. We are all wired the same. If you deprive yourself you will end up with low blood sugar, and eat ANYTHING in sight!
I always recommend that client’s stick to their regular balanced meal plan. I even suggest a small protein shake with lots of greens before a cocktail party so that you will eat less of the “treats” at the party. Trust me, it works!
2) Bait and switch!
One of the biggest pitfalls during the holiday season is the consumption of alcohol. Let’s be clear, alcohol in and of itself will not make you fat (more on that in a subsequent post). However, if you don’t understand how it’s metabolized, affects your behavior and account for those things accordingly. It certainly will lead to weight gain.
A few too many cocktails can cause a loss of inhibitions, motivation and massive craving for all sorts of unhealthy food! Not to mention, too much alcohol can adversely affect sleep patterns and can completely throw you off the next day too! Tired = Hungry.
Like the majority of my clients, you may find it difficult to completely abstain from alcohol, especially over the holidays. So I suggest you keep it to a two drink maximum and make sure you drink water or some club soda with lemon in between. What I do is order a glass of wine when someone offers to buy me a drink, and then order myself a soda water in between. This way nobody has to know, and they can’t give you a hard time for ordering water!
3) Morning Exercise
Not only is it difficult to stay on track with a nutritious eating plan during the holidays, but finding the time to get in your workouts feels near impossible. Many of you may not be morning people, and I’ll confess, neither am I, but I love morning workouts for three reasons:
a. There is no excuse for not working out in the morning except that you didn’t get your butt out of bed early enough!
b. It ramps up your metabolism for the entire day and gives you a ton of energy and;
c. It puts you in a healthy state of mind making it easier to keep motivated and make healthy eating choices!
4) A Food Diary
Commit to writing down everything you eat. Not only is this going to keep you accountable, but it will help you be more conscious of what you are eating. Keep in mind that even the “sample” of whip-cream covered hot chocolate they were giving out at Starbucks and the home-baked cookies your colleague brought to work need to make it into your diary! Not only will it help you turn down many unhealthy treats it will show you exactly where you are on track or need improvement!
5) Dead or Alive
Throughout the day, but especially when at a Christmas party keep asking yourself “is this food I’m about to put in my mouth dead or alive?” This is a concept I use with a lot of my clients as its very easy to visualize. I define “dead” food as anything that is overly processed (think pigs in a blanket), deep fried, pre-packaged, or full of sugar. These types of food are devoid of any real nutrient value and are only going to add a ton of empty calories to your day and make you feel lethargic.
Ciara Foy
Innovative Fitness Official Nutritionist
