Vegan day 328: TOP 10 ways to lose weight in between the holidays
Wanna pre-pay your calories? Now is the time!
We just enjoyed Thanksgiving and now the rest of the holidays are around the corner: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Years!
For many, now is too premature to go into a full lifestyle change (although there is no better time than the present). Most people will ride out the rollercoaster of life’s weight especially now during the holiday season. If that’s your choice, at least make the best of it. Pre-pay your calories NOW in between the two major “eating and drinking” HOLIDAYS!
Pre-pay your calories now.. save them to enjoy later!
Get motivated and get started today!
If you are going to do the rollercoaster, you might as well be a pro. If you are interested in a lifestyle change for the new year- look out for my upcoming teleconference!
Let’s get started!
The reason this came to the forefront of my mind is because I gained SIX POUNDS. You don’t wan’t to gain weight BEFORE the holidays begin lol. My birthday is part culprit and DAILY FOOD PREP AND BLOGGING is the other. Both I take full accountability for. That should be the first step. My BIRTHDAY MONTH was September and I decided to indulge a bit too much- too many dinners out which are like 4 meals in 1.. and too many desserts and sweets.
Done.. let’s forget it and move on.
Let’s get started now! I am going to do this with you. I have had a week head start and it’s already working.
- (1) Write it down.. ONLINE.. it’s the best way! I cannot stress this enough! You think you don’t have time for this? Well perhaps that’s the problem- you can’t seem to take 10 minutes a day to dedicate to yourself. Cooking or preparing food, exercising and taking a deeper look at both could be life saving. Spirit, energy and vibrance are what move people forward. Take care of yourself and you will further benefit those close to you in the process. Giving yourself 10 minutes a day (or an hour even better) could be the BEST THING YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR HEALTH and the health of those dear to you! I promise you, this commitment will pay off! Take the time to ENTER YOUR FOOD IN AN ONLINE JOURNAL. This is the best way to reduce your food intake, become aware of the food choices you are making and learn about the break down of carbohydrates, fats and proteins which are best for your body. Online, you can easily calculate the calories you are eating and make goals to reach your desired weight. I believe mine is public through my Facebook page if you would like to see how it works. Here are two good sites and there are many others. You can even download apps to your phone and enter your food while you are waiting on line for some Starbucks coffee: http://www.livestrong.com/myplate/ and http://www.fitday.com
- (2) Eat small and FREQUENT meals– mini meals! Make a FIST right now! That’s what I am talking about or just a tinge bigger- but not four fists at every meal lol. Eating 4-6 times a day or more could be a metabolism booster for you. I am speaking from experience here and if I can do it- ANYONE CAN! Trust me!
- (3) KISS– “Keep It Simple Stupid”; MINIMIZE INGREDIENTS and FOOD GROUPS– Read labels and choose foods that contain shorter ingredient lists. In cooking, watch your own ingredients- they can add up. I would probably exclude fresh and dried herbs/ spices from this limitation- go wild! Minimize food groups within one meal too. Eat your vegetables. VEG OUT! Eat veggies with carbohydrates or with proteins or by themselves! The USDA came out with MYPLATE which is a further variation of the MYPYRAMID. They strongly suggest that half of your plate be fruits/ vegetables. Here is a photo from the Harvard School of Public Health “MYPLATE”. By the way, I entered a photo contest for MYPLATE through the school I am attending right now INSTITUTE FOR INTEGRATIVE NUTRITION (INN) and I won 1st place: check it out!
- (4) PRE PACK snacks– Carrots, celery, sliced bell peppers, raw broccoli, hummus, nuts of all kinds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, crackers, peanut butter, apples, dried fruit, cut fresh fruit, carobs, dark chocolate, granola, energy bars etc. Pre PACK once or twice a week so you have them handy to throw in your bag for work, school or simply on the go!. Have fun with this- make your own nut mixes. Measure it out though and record the calories. These are good calories for the most part!
- (5) Don’t eat late as in a few hours before YOUR bedtime. The body needs sleep for many reasons and one for sure is to regenerate. Don’t take away from that by forcing your cells into digestion mode. If you are a late night eater like myself, just be aware, write it down and make better choices like something light or a small amount of a protein snack for example.
- (6) LET GO OF YOUR FEAR OF CARBS! Please! Make carbs your friend! I am not talking about refined nutrition-less junk food carbs. Please get this right- I’m talking about complex carbs. Don’t stress your kidneys and liver with too much protein. Save your liver for alcohol lol just kidding! High protein diets are short term and even though I know that many of you are looking for short-term, JUST KNOW YOU CAN DO IT with carbs in your life and it can have a lasting effect! Fats… save for healthy fats like avocado, oils, nuts/ seeds etc. Personally my breakdown is 60% carbohydrates which includes my fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains etc./ 12% protein/ 28% healthy fats! Find the balance that is best for you. DO NOT FEAR GOOD CARBS ANYMORE!
- (7) CHEW 35 times and eat mindfully! Please sit down and think about what you are eating. Enjoy the flavor and where it came from or who prepared it. Respect yourself— do not eat standing, in a car, or on the run; most likely your mind and body won’t register it and you will still be searching for satisfaction!
- (8) Drink TEA (or water) instead of having a junk food snack- green tea is a great start since it gives you energy and curbs your appetite! Turn your normal eating habits into something else- make a phone call to someone whose day you can brighten, take a quick walk, go to the gym, reach out to someone… change a habit!
- (9) Just say NO! To something unhealthy! There are so many things you can avoid right now while you are saving your calories for the holidays. Say NO to soda, or white carbs or meat or cheese or alcohol or coffee. I will say NO to desserts– for now– just for now ok lol!
- (10) Just say YES! Just say yes to one positive and improved habit! Health involves many aspects of your life: food, exercise, relationships, work, sleep and spirituality. Do something different today. Set your intentions in the morning, think about your goals, visualize, be grateful, show your gratitude, meditate, or try to meditate, take up yoga or another form of exercise that you have been thinking about, or go out and dance, sing, share your love and your spirit. Be open minded and smile!
Disclaimer: The information given here is for educational purposes only. You should not use this to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider.
[Friday, November 23rd 2012 blog]
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Wonderful strategies!