Avoid Holiday Weight Gain
Want to know my secret? Eat. Before starting any weight loss program, you always want to check with your doctor. For me, as a fitness instructor 24/7, I enjoy eating during the holidays. Protein helps build muscles, so the turkey, ham, or whatever protein your family tradition calls for – eat it. And, don’t feel guilty about going for seconds. The rule of thumb is that one serving of protein should equal the size of your fist. So long as you engage in some sort of physical activity that elevates your heart rate for 20 minutes at least 3x per week, you’ll be fine. Stressing over how much you enjoyed your holiday dinners will actually be more harmful for you, so go ahead and eat.
And lets talk vegetables…you want to eat those too. The only thing I would recommend not taking a double helping of is carbs. My rule of thumb is to pick the one I just can’t live without. Holidays for me are multiple days of an array of fabulous food. So, day 1 will be a single serving of homemade sweet potato casserole. Day 2, I’ll enjoy a homemade role with butter. Day 3, I’ll take that single serving of buttermilk mashed potatoes, and then day 4 I’ll select the homemade cheese grits. (mmmmm good!)
Another good rule of thumb is not to skip meals. If you feel full from dinner the night before, enjoy a protein shake or an egg the next morning. You owe it to your metabolism to keep it going. For me, breakfast is protein – egg whites are my favorite, paired with oats. (I will admit, it is hard not to reach for a cookie for breakfast...and sometimes I do as I am on my way out the door headed to teach an early AM indoor group cycle class.)
Holiday workouts? I have found that the Wii can be entertaining and physically motivating, so after dinner give everyone 20 minutes to digest and then GAME ON! (Your heart and backside will thank you.)
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Mrs. International 2011
Janet Bolin
And lets talk vegetables…you want to eat those too. The only thing I would recommend not taking a double helping of is carbs. My rule of thumb is to pick the one I just can’t live without. Holidays for me are multiple days of an array of fabulous food. So, day 1 will be a single serving of homemade sweet potato casserole. Day 2, I’ll enjoy a homemade role with butter. Day 3, I’ll take that single serving of buttermilk mashed potatoes, and then day 4 I’ll select the homemade cheese grits. (mmmmm good!)
Another good rule of thumb is not to skip meals. If you feel full from dinner the night before, enjoy a protein shake or an egg the next morning. You owe it to your metabolism to keep it going. For me, breakfast is protein – egg whites are my favorite, paired with oats. (I will admit, it is hard not to reach for a cookie for breakfast...and sometimes I do as I am on my way out the door headed to teach an early AM indoor group cycle class.)
Holiday workouts? I have found that the Wii can be entertaining and physically motivating, so after dinner give everyone 20 minutes to digest and then GAME ON! (Your heart and backside will thank you.)
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Mrs. International 2011
Janet Bolin
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