Sunday, November 07, 2010

The Dreaded Holiday Splurge

The Dreaded Holiday Splurge

By Chris Fluck

With the holiday season approaching, I thought it would be fitting to give some helpful tips on how to avoid the holiday splurge and not pack on extra pounds. The first step is to control your portion sizes. Just because it is the holidays does not mean you need to get out the big plates and load them up with food. A simple solution is to use smaller plates. By the time you are done eating your body and brain will be satisfied with the smaller portion.

If you still feel the need to get the big plates out then take the time to enjoy the food and your company. Slowing down the eating process will allow your food to digest. It usually takes around 15 minutes to digest the food and send the message to your brain. Doing this will help you to avoid the big Holiday splurge. If you do want to let loose a little, treat the holidays as three separate days and not one month of overeating. Plan to enjoy your meals on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years but be more strict on the days in between. It is important to get a workout in the following day and to drink plenty of water.

If you do fall victim to the Holiday splurge there are some simple ways to get back into shape. Goal setting is important so you should set a minimum goal, an optimal goal, and a fairly ambitious goal. Setting goals keeps you on track and even if you only reach the minimum goal, then you are still making progress which is great for morale. A good example of a minimum goal would be to lose 5-10% of your body weight. This is beyond reasonable and can be obtained if you adhere to a program consisting of weight training and cardiovascular training. The most important aspect of getting in shape is eliminating the all-or-nothing approach. The weight is not going to come off in one day so be patient. Losing weight is a process so if you slip up one day do not give up. Get back on track the following day and be ready to achieve your goals. Success is contagious so do not ever give up on reaching your goals.

Chris Fluck

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