Holiday Fitness Tips

Holiday Fitness Tips

What are tips to keep fitness as part of your holiday? Plan ahead and be realistic. How can you enjoy yourself and not completely surrender?

Start the day with a brisk walk around your neighborhood. Be kind to yourself during the holidays, brief (15 minutes) routines are okay. Just don’t give up exercising each day. (If you need to…take a day off, just not two in a row, okay?)

• This is a great way to spend time with focusing your day or spending quality time with a rarely seen friend or family member.
• Also, you will feel great knowing you have raised your metabolism earlier in the day.

Did you know that if you eat right after exercising, it is not stored as fat?

Remember to hydrate with water. You will be tempted with other fluids during the holidays. So make sure you focus on including extra water. It helps flush your system.

Home Workout Alternatives

List five things you can do at home that will combine fitness with family time. This way you won’t beat yourself up if you really can’t get to the gym.

• How about squats and standing on toes while brushing teeth
• Arm exercises while watching TV
• Gentle stretches at the computer

Each person will have different needs and challenges.  Just be active to the best of your ability. Enjoy your holidays without guilt or surrender!

Leave a comment, sharing examples of home holiday exercising alternatives. Thanks!

Recommended Reading:

Fit and Healthy On The Road: Keeping-Up With Fitness Goals While Traveling
9 Ways to Avoid Winter Weight Gain
Healthy Holiday Eating

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Healthy Holiday Eating

Healthy Holiday Eating

How do you feel about eating healthy during the Holidays? What will you do during the next two weeks to survive with your health intact?  Well I know that healthy holiday eating is a challenge every year for me.

What is your experience?  My four most challenging days are Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Years Eve and New Years Day.

Then there are the numerous daily attacks on my discipline with baked goodies and edible gifts.  In fact, it seems like food is everywhere. So, it is just too easy to eat unconsciously.

Since, every mouthful averages 25 calories. Just four mindless mouthfuls a day will equal 100 calories. And if you just give up, at the end of the month you’ve gain a pound.

Put a post stick in your pocket and write down each mouthful you eat.

Watch out for adding calories and have a plan

What are your favorite holiday foods? You know you want them. So make a plan.  If you want sweet potatoes (or garlic mashed), just don’t overload them with every topper (or gravy).

And be mindful of serving sizes. Remember the size of a deck of cards or balled fist is enough for most foods.

Avoid empty calories – alcohol, candy. You add the calories, but your body doesn’t feel full or gain any nutrients.

Eat Before Socializing

I discovered this tip a few years ago by accident:

• Eating a healthy snack and drink water just before leaving for a social event.  I skipped lunch and was famished before a major social event.  I realized if I waited for party food, it would be another hour. So, I ate a serving of oatmeal. This kept me feeling full and I was able to snack and converse with people. Flitting from person to person instead of snack to snack. It was life changing.

• Make food an accessory to the event; focus on engaging your friends. Think about the quality of your interactions, not the quantity. Did you realize that you can easily consume a full day’s calories at a party or holiday meal? And that doesn’t include breakfast or lunch.

Don’t skip meals like I told you I did because that is unhealthy. Make healthy choices during the day and for the entire holiday season.

What are you going to do about your holiday eating? Please comment.

Recommended reading:

9 Ways to Avoid Winter Weight Gain

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9 Ways to Avoid Winter Weight Gain

Here are 9 ways to avoid winter weight gain. Preventing weight gained during the winter is important. Studies have shown that winter weight gain averages 2 lbs,  accumulates over time and is tougher to lose.  If this extra weight accumulates through the years it may be a major contributor to obesity later in life.

1. Increase your protein intake to curb carb cravings in winter. Head off cravings for simple carbs by stocking up on healthier foods. Be very mindful of cravings for comfort food.
2. Stock your refrigerator and cupboards with healthier foods that are high in complex carbs. Healthy eating choices include; fresh fruits and vegetables, dried fruits (without added sugar), whole-grain breads and cereals and healthful, low-sodium soups. Foods that are high fiber, are utilized by the body more slowly, feeling satisfied longer. Eat more broth or vegetable based soups to stay full longer. Foods that contain water, keep you feeling full longer than just drinking water.  So, stock up with healthy foods low in calories and high in water content, fill you up faster.
3. Have snacks in-between meals.  Snacking boosts your metabolism, maintains your energy between meals and keeps your blood sugar steady. Plan several protein, fiber-rich snacks a day; unsweetened applesauce, roasted unsalted nuts and seeds, dried fruits made without sugar, such as raisins or apricots; and whole-grain cereal.
4. Keep a food journal, honestly listing your entire food and beverage intake. Assume most mouthfuls are minimum 25 calories.  Some people keep a list every day; others keep a list for a week, once a month.  Whether you use a PDA, phone app, online tool or paper diary, journaling is effective.
5. Never, ever go to a party hungry. Remember to have fun, see and talk to people. Create a plan to resist excess holiday party and food temptations. Don’t expose yourself to temptation without planning. One successful trick I use is to eat a serving of oatmeal before leaving home.
6. Keep physically activity. Weather may prevent outdoor sports, so plan for indoor activity.  When your time is tight, don’t become obsessive, but do be consistent. Plan on being active daily.  At least 3X weekly spend planned exercise time. Buy a few DVDs for indoor activity, Plan 10-15 minute bursts of activities, Create new exercises patterns, Walk upstairs, mall walking.
7. Avoid empty calories on foods or beverages. Avoid or minimize alcohol.  Alcohol is loaded with empty calories.  Drink a full 8oz. glass of water often.
8. Consider taking Vitamin D supplements to compensate for less sunlight and outdoor time.  Check with your doctor.
9. It is okay to say no.  You do not have to accept every invitation or eat/drink every item offered. Practice if you must, but don’t feel guilty about protecting your health.

The key to avoiding winter weight gain is to be aware and mindful of both your eating and exercising.  Take the pressure off and think about what you eat and how you are active.

Please comment. Share how you prevent winter weight gain with other readers.

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Support National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Support National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) during October and use the information and links provided to self educate yourself.

• National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
• Susan G. Komen for the Cure
• Breast Problems in Women Flowchart
• What Should You Ask Your Doctor About Breast Cancer?

Breast Cancer Awareness Month strives to encourage women to be aware of the importance of early detection, yearly mammograms, support for those affected by breast cancer and raise funds for research towards prevention, cause and a cure.  Breast lumps, pain, discharge or skin problems can be a sign of a minor problem or something more serious, so it’s important to pay attention to any changes.

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. It  is usually treated with surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and medications. Breast Cancer can be genetic (accounting for approximately 10 percent)  or environmental.  Elements in the environment are the cause of approximately ninety percent of breast cancers.

Unfortunately, the reality of being faced with breast cancer is inevitable for most of us.  We must self educate and take advantage of modern technology.  The NBCAM and Komen links provide general information regarding breast cancer. While the links to the flowchart and questions for your doctor will assist in providing you with information specific to your body.

Please leave a comment about how breast cancer has affected you or your family. Or do you participate in activities that raise awareness or funds for research?

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Multitaskers Are Bad At Multitasking!

Multitaskers are bad at Multitasking!  Stanford researchers compared Multitaskers and Unitaskers and found significant differences in memory, ability to concentrate and easily distracted. The results found multitaskers couldn’t concentrate and their memory stinks, resulting in not doing anything well (or rather to the best of our ability).

I know, we all think we are the exception; terrific with multi tasking, listenening to music, watching tv, texting/talking on the cell phone, checking email and surfing the web. But I have to admit that I started this post as an hommage to my month of focusing on Yoga (September was National Yoga Month). My plan was to celebrate the increased results from concentrating on my Yoga focus and mindfulness. Yet, as I started writing, I realized that intentional focus, mindfulness and unitasking were contrary to my usual multitasking.

The truth appears to be that we operate more like our computers with too many programs open, we slow down or crash. I have refined several habits and become more productive as a result; reducing the stimuli of having too many distractions siphoning my attention.  Instead of juggling too many tasks, I really focus in the moment.  What about you? I really want your thoughts and comments on multitasking.

What do you think? Please take a minute and share your comments.  Thanks!

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