A balancing act: Your weight & the holidays
Ashley James - Special to the Gazette
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Shape Up, Emporia!, is a weekly fitness and health column aimed at readers of all ages to get off the couch and get into shape. Each week will feature a fitness, health or nutrition professional from around the area who will share some friendly tips on how to improve your overall health. Our goal is to make getting in shape fun and easy to fit into your existing lifestyle and daily routine.
Thanksgiving — the time of year when we gather with our loved ones to give thanks for our many blessings. If your family celebrates this holiday anything like mine you more than likely will overindulge in the fine feast that’s been so painstakingly prepared! There truly is a hypnotizing effect when you gaze upon what I like to call the, “Temptation Buffet”.
For those of us who are trying to remain health conscious through this holiday season we might have better luck at the “Temptation Buffet” if we show up to the feast with a plan. I’ve prepared one that, if followed properly, might help you in beating the odds of gaining the holiday inches.
1 Be Sure to Eat a Healthy Breakfast
So often we will go hungry through the morning so that we’ll have room in our stomachs to literally stuff ourselves at the main dinner. After a normal meal the stomach expands to approximately one liter (.26 gallons); however, when you eat enough food to stuff yourself like the Thanksgiving turkey your stomach can expand up to four liters (an entire gallon). Try showing up to dinner slightly full so that you’re not tempted to carry around a gallon of food in your stomach!
2 Be Realistic
It’s hard enough to lose weight on a regular day, so try to simply maintain the weight you’re at during the holidays. If you keep your portions small and don’t continuously return to the buffet line you can have about whatever you like. It’s okay to enjoy the food — just don’t overdo it.
3 Know What Emotions Trigger You to Eat
Holidays tend to flood our emotions with past memories — some good, others not so good. Keep in mind which memories stress you enough to cause you to eat away the pain. “You have to condition yourself and change your mindset about what food means to you (Judith Beck, Ph.D — WebMD).”
4 Don’t Forget the Pigskin
I can’t think of a better way to work off your holiday calories than to play a friendly game of touch football with your dinner guests. If football isn’t your game then try a nice walk or jog — anything to get moving!
5 Relax and Enjoy the Time You Have With Your Guests
Go around the table and say at least one thing that you’re thankful for this year. Try not to get too wrapped up in the hurry of the holiday season.
Be Thankful!
Be Happy!
Be Healthy!