| Most
of you, no matter how disciplined you are, will find yourself
either compromising your healthy eating regime, or at least feeling
tempted to compromise it during the holidays. While hopefully
most of you refrain from diets high in fat and sugars on a regular
basis, it can be a little more difficult with the overabundance
of goodies that seem to surround us at this time of year.
Here are a few tips to help keep you on track during this holiday
season. For starters, use moderation in your eating habits. I
believe in balance, so there is nothing wrong with indulging a
bit in all the delicious foods that will be served over the next
couple weeks. Just try not to over-indulge.
Drinking a glass of water before subjecting myself to tempting
foods is one technique I find useful. This will cause you to feel
full sooner. And if you know ahead of time that you will be going
out to a restaurant that serves rich foods, or will be eating
at someone's home where you don't have any control over what will
be served, you may want to eat a small healthy meal before attending.
Pay attention to your stomach, if you are full, put the fork down-don't
over-eat! You don't have to clear your plate at a restaurant,
and if you're a guest at someone's home, take small helpings rather
than load your plate up. I find that most restaurants serve enough
to feed a king, so I usually find myself full after eating about
half of what's on my plate. You can always ask for your food to
be wrapped up to take home.
And finally, remember that your body maintains an increased state
of metabolism following exercise, so it is always a good idea
to exercise in the morning or afternoon before attending a big
dinner. That way, your body burns off more of the calories from
the dinner than it would have without the exercise.
So remember:
* Eat healthy most of the time
* Use balance, especially during the holiday season
* Drink a glass of water before eating
* Eat a small healthy meal before going out to eat
* Take some of the food home rather than try to eat it all at
one sitting
* Exercise in the morning or afternoon before the big dinner
So please remember to enjoy yourself first and foremost this holiday
season, and if you have been living a healthy lifestyle, you can
afford to treat yourself once in a while. One or two rich dinners
or desserts this holiday season won't break you. Happy holidays!
Melissa Allen is a certified
personal trainer, Blackbelt & fitness consultant, as well
as the owner of Optimum Condition— personal fitness training
and kickboxing instruction. She is a regular columnist with various
newspapers and welcomes input from her readers. Please contact
her with any questions or comments that you may have by calling
(619) 252-4993, email her at Opticondit@aol.com, or visit her
website at www.optimumcondition.com. |
