Friday, December 16, 2011

How to LOSE Weight During the Holidays


We all know that any holiday we celebrate has FOOD as a main component and one of the most enjoyable to experience.  Sometimes it's the comfort food that helps us through the "family" thing and other times it may be what brings the family together.  Without taking away the joy and pleasure the holiday foods bring...how do we protect ourselves from not gaining weight during that time period.  If you ONLY gain 3 pounds each year, where are you in 5 years . . . OOPS. 

Here are a few easy ideas that may keep you from gaining and may even afford some WEIGHT LOSS:

1.  EAT BREAKFAST - no matter how much you may plan on eating for the rest of the day.  The breakfast (high protein/low carb) will help to stabilize your blood sugars for the rest of the day and will help keep you full so you won't want to snack as much.  Try a good GREENS/PROTEIN drink for breakfast.

2.  EAT ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FOODS - sometimes it's not just how much we eat but what foods cause an inflammatory response in our bodies.  If you have done the blood test for IgG allergies stay away from them.  If you have not . . . high allergen foods tend to be wheat, dairy, eggs, and yeasts.  If you can gain or lose more than a pound overnight...then you have put something into your body that caused an inflammatory reaction.  You can't gain muscle or fat overnight.

3.  TAKE YOUR OMEGA-3 FISH OIL.  It's an anti-inflammatory and helps to stabilize your brain's neurotransmitters.  It helps with depression and anxiety, both of which are high during the holidays and it will also help you with the detriment of the YUMMY foods.

4.  KEEP YOUR ROUTINE WITH MULTI-VITAMINS.  Don't throw out the good just because the bad is coming. These will help the body for the onslaught. 

5.  LEARN THE CALLAHAN TECHNIQUE for the emotional eating part.  It's a quick easy way to not grab for that EXTRA serving or that second piece of dessert.  Your family may think you've gone nuts when you start tapping yourself but next year they will have the extra pounds not you.

6.  EXERCISE -  whatever your routine is...you must so more on the day you overeat.  You can burn up the extra calories.  If you don't want to count calories . . . just do SOMETHING for one hour.  Wait 2 hours after eating and then go WITH your family and friends to walk, dance, yoga, whatever...make it part of the day's plan.  Everyone will feel better and not have the guilt.  Don't huddle on the couch too long you'll never get up. Make a pact with your group that you WILL exercise after eating . . . someone in the group will actually hold the rest to it. 

7.  DON'T STARVE YOURSELF before and after.  You will teach your body that it must store whatever you eat next to fat because it doesn't know when the next meal is coming.  If your body sees some food every day then when you overeat it won't be as likely to hold on to it.   Eat less for the days before and after to cut some calories for the week and to "shrink" the stomach, but be sure and eat healthy meals and only cut the size down... not cut OUT.

8. DRINK A LOT OF WATER - it will keep you full.  If you are used to 8 glasses a day drink 10-12.  If you only drink 1-2 SHAME ON YOU but get over it.  DOUBLE the amount on these days.  I'm not asking you to cut out anything.  You can have your coffee and alcohol just smaller amounts and if you decide not to have them on these gorge days all the better.  WATER, WATER, WATER.  It will satiate you.

9.  EAT DESSERT - just one piece.  If you want a bite of them ALL then a bite of each that equals one serving in total.  You can satisfy your taste and your curiosity and not put yourself into a blood sugar swing. There are probably other people who want to do the same thing so you won't be destroying the piece for someone else.  Forget splitting ...it's too much . . . ONE TOTAL PIECE.   

10.  NIX the leftovers.  If the meal is at your house give away ALL leftovers except some turkey and veggies.  Give the rest away.  If you are the guest do not take home the left overs that will put on the pounds. 

11.  EAT BEETS..they will help cleanse your liver and gall bladder. 



Some things to take that will help you maintain your weight if you decide not to burn more calories than you eat (in other words you STAY on the couch):  


a.  Digestive enzymes. Take 20 minutes before a meal to help digest your food.  This is great for the GERD and TOOTS that usually follow when you overeat.  They will also help you break the food down so it won't be so easily stored in the wrong places.

b.  Probiotic. You will be eating food with hormones in them and your gut flora will be a mess for days.  Populate your gastro intestinal system with the good bugs and it will help with digestive issues.

c.  Natural anti-inflammatories such as Tumeric and Curcumin.  Many products have these as well as Green Tea and other ingredients that keep the inflammation down and increase your metabolism.

d.  Cinnulin(a water extracted cinnamon) and chromium to stabalize blood sugars and help you with the cravings.

e. Hoodia for appetite suppressant.  This is an herb used by African tribesmen to suppress appetite while hunting.  Take 2 hours before the big meal of the day. 

You don't need stimulants, etc.  remember you are teaching your body that most of the time you eat well so when the BIG BOY days come...it can handle it.  If you feel guilty after eating, the stress chemicals you produce will pack it on in the middle. Sooooo . . .

ENJOY your food, eat less, exercise more and take some supplements to help. Sounds easy and it is.  Make your goal to lose a certain amount of weight during the 2 weeks before and after a holiday.  If you follow these rules...you will.