Holiday Weight Gain Facts And The Grim Reality Of Aberrant Human Behavior.
Weight gain during the holiday months is perpetual problem troubling millions of Americans. Horrific eating behaviors lead to an extra unsightly 7-12 pounds of holiday weight gain. This weight gain is typically seen around peoples faces and bellies. The worst thing about this two month gain in weight is the negative ramifications it has on the internal organs of the body.
Halloween Marks The Beginning Of Holiday Weight Gain.
It begins when Halloween approaches and buckets full of tempting candies from the children or leftover handouts have found their way into the home and workplace. Sugary, toxic negative caloric foods become too accessible to the nondisciplined. The pancreas and liver won’t know what hit them! Three weeks later comes the Thanksgiving festivities, and everyone feels at liberty to transform into gluttonous noobs all the while claiming its too “unsociable” not to indulge in the traditional 7000 calories “coma meal”, and if that’s not enough, there are post sequelae 48 hours of grazing on leftovers.
Holiday Weight Gain At Christmas.
Next, the month of December represents good times, cheer and holiday parties galore. If you’re a real socialite, then you will find the need to perpetually assimilate with coworkers and friends at office parties, home parties, then your own family get-togethers. December festivities represent the biggest challenge for many people. The media, the music and holiday decorations send a message to everyone that its time to let loose, and weight control during the holiday months is the furthest thing from most people’s minds.
New Years Eve Festivities Is The Nail In The Coffin For Holiday Weight Gain.
Last but not least, there is a New Years Eve celebration, spent drinking copious amounts of empty alcohol calories, and eating crazy unhealthy stuff on New Year’s Eve. The end result is a waistline disaster for the majority of the American population. Whatever level of fitness you acquired throughout the preceding 9 months of the year, is laid to waste in 3 months of reckless eating and drinking behaviors. The holidays win, as the thought of gaining weight during the holiday months was a very distant thought. Consequently, you begin your New Years wondering why you can’t fit into your favorite jeans anymore.
As a personal trainer working with clients for over 18 years, I’m not going to drill into you not to eat holiday foods when you’re surrounded by friends and family who are egging you on to “Just enjoy” as” You only live once.” My advice to you is simple, workable and has always helped many of my clients stabilize their weight during the holiday months.
Sensible Tips and Tactics To Help You Avoid Holiday Weight Gain.
Tip #1
Eat a good size healthy salad and one liter of water 1 hour before holiday meals or office parties. It’s simple and works wonders. A cruciferous salad ads GI bulk and the liter of water stimulates your satiety receptors in your gut. You will feel full! Yes, you will probably eat something at your holiday gathering however, the portion size will be substantially smaller. Many of my clients have prepackaged salads and lots of bottled water on hand at the workplace in case of unexpected dinner meetings or office parties. They are true believers in this anti-weight gain strategy.
Tip #2
If you know you will be eating above and beyond your normal intake levels then neutralize the caloric impact by engaging in some exercise the day of the party. If it’s a Thanksgiving meal, get up early and go for an hour jog, bike ride, go to the gym or do a physical activity that you enjoy. You will feel less inclined to eat like a barbarian since you worked out and feel fit. In some cases, an arduous workout out can suppress appetite. I highly recommend that you get up early and accomplish your workouts before a busy day sabotages your fitness goals. Fitness and weight control during the holiday months go hand in hand. Often my seasoned well-disciplined clients will increase the number of workouts they engage in during the week to help prevent Holiday Weight gain.
Tip #3
Alcohol is the evil culprit in weight gain and metabolic shutdown. Worse than sugar according to most nutritional experts. Limit your hard alcohols and focus on red wine and light beers if you must drink. The calories and alcohol content of wine and beer are marginal in comparison to drinks made with vodka, tequila, whiskey or gin. Alcoholic beverages represent empty calories and negatively affect liver functions and insulin regulation from the pancreas. Your metabolism will suffer and you will acquire a distinct beer belly. The solution is to drink in moderation and for every alcoholic beverage you drink, toss in two glasses of club soda. Of course, it’s best not to drink at all, but this is a good compromise for most people and works very well.
Tip #4
Avoid caloric deprivation. One of the biggest mistakes I have witnessed is when clients skip breakfast, lunch, and snack in preparation for a big meal. This just does not work! Skipping meals shuts down your metabolism as your body senses it’s in the starvation mode. Because your body senses starvation, you will naturally overeat at that party or holiday celebration. Now you have actually consumed far more calories than if you simple consumed a regular breakfast and lunch. Banking your calories is just plain foolish. Add a few low-calorie healthy snacks into your day. This will prevent overeating at the dinner table.
With a little self-control and application of my tips, you can easily thwart off unwanted fat pounds during the holiday months. It makes sense, has worked with hundreds of my clients and will make you feel good about yourself in the end. Holidays are about feeling good with yourself and others. Post holidays shouldn’t be about feeling guilty and acquiring a poor self-image. Do the right thing! If you still have self doubts that you can control your eating behaviors, then enlist the help of a qualified weight loss health coach to help you establish sound eating patterns.
About The Author
Rivak Hoffman is a Nationally Certified Personal Fitness Trainer, Precision Nutrition Certified Nutritionist, CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach and Practioner practicing in Scottsdale Arizona. He has successfully helped hundreds of people overcome obesity and health-related issues. For more information about Rivak and his company Every Bit Fit Arizona visit www.everybitfitaz.com or call 480-868-5170
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