This is the time of the year when I personally consume about 80% of all my decadent food calories for the year.
Last night I was at a really nice event and I was surrounded by crab dip and wings and cheesecake and short-bread and and and….I ate most everything there was to eat. Like you, I will be at several such things in the coming weeks and there will also be these kinds of tasty treats all around my house as well.
At the same time that everyone is suddenly exposed to, and surrounded by, all the funnest things to eat, they also have the mentality that they are going to get serious about their weight management after the New Year anyway, so why not indulge. This is the perfect storm for blowin’ up like Santa Claus! For many years I would gain about 10 pounds during the holiday season because I would relax on my exercise and eat everything in sight. But in recent years I learned how to indulge for the most part and avoid the excessive weight gain. Oh I still will put on a few pounds, but nothing that won’t come off in the first few days of normallizing.
I actually am able to indulge when I like throughout the year, because I do what I say and what I teach, so this gives me a license to eat something unhealthy but tasty when I want (but that’s a different topic).
Let’s be real….in the next month everyone we know (including us) is going to eat and drink more calories than at any other time of the year. And it’s not going to be an overdose of carrots!
The smart thing to do is to minimize the impact of all this extra tasty stuff. This is not so hard to do and here is how I do it.
1. Drink lots of water throughout the day- this will help you push the plate away a little faster.
2. Exercise– this is NOT the time of year to stop exercising- in addition to whatever your normal workout routine is try taking a brisk walk in the evening after dinner.
3. Slow Down– when you eat, chew your food more slowly and savor the taste. This will reduce your propensity to overeat.
4. When you eat meals, eat your vegetables first.
5. Use the right supplements. Lots of Fiber to keep things moving and reduce the amount of fat absorption (Colon Formula or Daily BioBasics) I do fiber twice a day, Digestive enzymes (Digestion Formula) I use a couple with every meal…while everyone else feels bloated I feel normal within 15 to 20 minutes, Slenderlean: This will suppress your appetite so you won’t desire as much, increase your fat-burning ability during and after exercise, and give you more energy which will help you do all the things you have to do and help you burn more calories, and last but definitely not least, Phase’Olean– Let the starch blocker wipe out the calories from all those cakes, breads, potatoes and other related goodies.
Enjoy the season like Santa, but you don’t have to end up like him!