How To Avoid Gaining the Holiday 7

As the holidays approach, a frequent question from my clients and subscribers is "How can I avoid gaining weight during the holidays"? Their concern is legitimate. The average American adult gains seven pounds of fat between Thanksgiving and New Years Day.

However, with a little know-how and effort youdon't have to be "average". In fact, I've seenmany people actually lose a few pounds over the holidays and feel great while doing it.

One of my clients said it best, "Greg, I can't tell you how good it feels to have lost three pounds during the holidays instead of gaining ten pounds as I used to do. My friends are jealous. It's January 2nd and I'm feeling (and looking) lean and mean. And, best of all, I actually enjoyed the holidays more because I always felt energetic. In years past, inactivity and lots of food made me constantly sluggish and tired."

Here are a few tips that can bring you into thenew year without any new pounds..

1. Do some type of exercise everyday, preferablyevery morning. Now this can be as simple as a 15 minute walk some days but it's VERY important that you do something everyday. Physiologically, this keeps your metabolism elevated, helps to control your appetite, and ENERGIZES you!

Mentally, daily exercise increases your mentalacuity for hours after exercise, and it keeps you in a "healthy" frame of mind. Many people tell me that daily exercise helps them to make better food choices because it makes them feel like they are doing something healthy for themselves. Commit to doing at least 15 minutes, butpreferably 30 to 60 minutes everyday during the holidays. I think you'll be surprised.

2. Don't deprive yourself of those holidaygoodies that you enjoy. Tell yourself that youcan eat whatever you'd like to as long as it'sin moderation. For example, eat one Christmas brownie instead of five. Take small bites of that brownie, chew it well, savor every biteso you can really enjoy the taste rather thanrushing to swallow it. The same for meals,don't deprive yourself of the foods you enjoybut eat them in moderation and savor everybite.

3. Have lots of "healthy" foods available atyour home during the holidays. Make a bigfruit salad to keep in the frig when you needa snack. Have some of your favorite veggiesready to eat for when you're hungry. Make abig salad and keep it ready to eat in thefrig.

4. Don't allow yourself to get too hungry. Thehungrier you are, the less control you haveover your eating. Always eat some healthy,filling food before going to a party,dinner, or any situation where you will beexposed to lots of tempting food.

5. Strictly limit or avoid alcohol. Alcoholis really bad news!I call it the "triple whammy"! it depresses your metabolism, stimulates your appetite, and it's loadedwith calories. Alcohol has as many caloriesper gram as fat!

So, get energized with some daily exercise andmoderate food consumption, and REALLY enjoythe holidays.. AND January 2.

copyright 2004 by Greg Landry, M.S.

Author and exercise physiologist, Greg Landry,offers free, unique weight loss and fitnessarticles at his site.. http://www.Landry.com