This morning we can hear the collective sigh of “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing!” Whatever that whole thing was, most of us were having a grand old time eating (and drinking) it. Isn’t that a part of what makes the holiday so special? No sense in feeling bad about it. Here it is Monday, the most perfect day to jump back on the wagon. Here are 10 tips that always help me, and hopefully they will help you, too.
1) Drink at least a gallon of water…preferably plain or with some fresh lemon juice squeezed in. My morning glass has some Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar and honey, this morning.
2) Eat some lean protein with breakfast to help keep you feeling full for most of the morning. Then cut back on the protein and stick with vegetables and fruits for the rest of the day. You can follow this plan for a few days. Drinking lots of water along with eating fruits and vegetables will serve as a sort of detox from the sugar, fats and alcohol we (definitely I) tend to indulge in on holidays.
3) Get rid of the holiday leftovers. If they aren’t ready for the garbage and you can’t part with them, freeze them, even if it’s just till next weekend. If they are laying around, they are going to get eaten and chances are good they will get eaten by YOU.
4) Hold off on the liquor until New Year’s Eve (or at least until Friday). If you have to drink something make it a small glass of wine and make sure to count the calories as part of your daily total. Everyone’s total is different but a good rule of thumb is woman should stick to about 1200 a day, and men about 1800, in order to be in the losing direction. If you are on weight watchers, you know your points number…a glass of wine can work into that plan!
5) Use fresh herbs and spices and pepper freely but stay away from salt! We all probably had more than enough salt this weekend and getting rid of it will help you feel better by de-bloating! Additionally, include foods with diuretic properties, such as parsley and asparagus. They will help pull the retained fluids out of your body. Also, drinking a low calorie, low fat, low sodium soup like vegetable before a meal will help you eat less calories. Olive Garden’s minestrone, just 100 calories in a bowl and really tasty. I may make another pot of my version of this, this afternoon. It will last all week.
6) Remember your long term goals! Ask yourself questions like this: “Would I rather fit in my bathing suit for my February cruise or would I rather eat the 3 day old cannoli?”
7) Don’t make Christmas and New Year’s ONE holiday. We are gifted with an entire week in between them, and this year the holidays are kind enough to fall out on the weekends. We can lose whatever we gained this past weekend, by getting back on track TODAY.
8) Get moving. Today. Plan your week and find some times to get in your exercise. 20 minutes of hard cardio a day would add up to two hours before our next holiday and eating/drinking orgy is upon us. Not only will it burn some calories but it will keep the metabolism up. Hit the weights for a few minutes twice this week and you have an added bonus. One yoga session would provide a lot of balance to the crazy weeks leading up to to now. People who do yoga at least once a week have better control over their eating because they have better control in general.
9) Don’t beat yourself up by what your scale might say today. Follow the above tips for damage control and by Friday your scale should make you smile.
10) Remember what the true meaning of this season is and be grateful for all you have in your life. This will help make the first 9 tips much more doable. It is not the food we eat, but the people in our lives that make us complete!
If you have ANY questions or suggestions to add to this, bring it on. If you ever watched Biggest Loser, you know that one week can make a huge difference in our end of the week weigh in…and you do want to fit into that outfit you picked out for New Year’s Eve, don’t you?