Lighten Up with Derick!
Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain
Eat, Drink and Be Merry. Maybe. This is the time of year to party with friends and family. Unfortunately, many people gain five or more pounds. The good news: it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are a few things you can do, enjoy yourself and not feel cheated.
The main thing to realize is that pounds usually come as a result of a week’s behavior. You are allowed to have a bad day here and there. Actually, you will make more progress with weight loss if you vary calories from day to day.
The reason for this is called starvation mode efficiency. If you have fewer calories than you need for a long period of time the body begins to think food is scarce. The thing that suffers most is your metabolism. You begin to conserve energy, feel sluggish and will have a hard time losing any weight at all. This is why so many people eat like a bird, are tired all the time and never achieve permanent weight loss.
Here is a simple proven suggestion. Budget your calories like you would your finances. Figure how many calories you have to spend for the week. If you have 1500 a day you can spend 10,500 for the week. You can have a few frugal days of 1000 and spend 2500 when you need to at a special occasion.
If you are real into numbers, you can actually make this pretty scientific. If you’re like me, make it simple. Forget the numbers and just guess a little. Have a few light dinners and lunches leading up to your blow it days. When you do hit the parties, you’ll have calories to burn and won’t feel guilty.
Another suggestion is eating a little before a party, especially when appetizers are served. Eating a small lunch before your 4:00 Christmas meal is a good way to save you from overeating when you finally sit down.
The rules that apply here will also be maximized with a few extra walks or workouts. Don’t forget the calories you burn during workouts are only a part of the overall benefit. When you add workouts, you also increase your metabolism even after you’re done. This is what we call the afterburn.
Make a commitment to yourself. That can be your own special holiday gift.
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Need more help? Call or email today.
I’m Derick Rotunno and I would be happy to discuss how we can help you.
818-248-0170