The Christmas holidays can be an irristable trap for too many of us trying to be fit. All of our good intentions to lose weight and keep fit get trashed on special occasions.
Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without those mouth watering dishes, the occasional glass of alcohol and all the chocolate you can eat. But all that feasting may well take its toll. You might feel sluggish and lazy. Curling up in bed seems more attractive than exercise. But do you want to go on feeling like that until the New Year? Do those mouth watering cakes provide just too much temptation?
Then here is some advise that you may take:
Create A Plan to Avert the Bulge in you.
The ugliest part of having a food hangover is the feeling of being helpless, feeling that you have lost control. So remember before you start, that you are in control of what you put in your mouth. Visualize yourself eating slowly, taking small portions, enjoying the food more and eating less. Give yourself 10-20 minutes to write down how good you will feel when you eat in moderation, as compared with how disgusting it feels after you have over indulged. Write down how you want to feel. For example, you want to feel energetic, not dazed; confident you look good, not embarrased by your body. List what you have been eating and consider your plan for moderation. Create an exercise plan for those challenging days. Take control before you have given it up!
Don't Let the Lapse Become a Collapse!
When temptation shows up, think twice before you bite. It might seem perfectly reasonable to finish off those leftover foods, but one mistake leads to another, then another and, before you know it, you are in full-blown collapse.
Remember, emotions can be powerful eating triggers, perhaps more so than real hunger. And it's sometimes hard to tell which is which. If you're craving more sweets or quantities of food, take a 10-minute time-out to study your feelings. Go to the store, go for a walk, go into a different room. If emotions are fuelling your hunger, try a healthy alternative like a brisk walk first. Chances are it will alter your mood and you won't want to eat or drink.
Work Out, But don't overdo it!
Stick with a light cardiovascular workout, like walking or jogging. Think of exercise as a tension reducer that makes you happy. To burrn off the excess calories provided by just one piece of Christmas dessert, it can take days of running, swimming or frantic aerobics . But you don't have to burn it all off at once - that kind of thinking sets you up to fail. You should definitely exercise, but don't punish yourself.
Drink Water!
Keep drinking water all throughout the day. And then another glass. Water is a natural diuretic and thus a fantastic way to wash away toxins and prevent fluid retention. You could start by drinking warm water with lemon. Warm water is less shocking to your system and the citric acid jumpstarts your digestion.
Burn Calories by Napping!
Sleep is a secret ingredient in the battle to loose weight. Bad sleep increases stress hormones in the body. This makes blood sugars fluctuate even more wildly, leaving you hungry and wanting more comfort yummies. A 15-minute nap or quiet rest could do more good than the punitive exercise you were planning.
Create Your Plan
You can lose more weight, by planning in advance. The easiest weight to lose, is that which you never gain. The more you plan ahead, the easier it will be to stick to a healthy routine. Advance planning is far more effective that repairing damage afterwards.
Good luck. Remember to enjoy the Holidays. Remember, the more you take control, the more you will enjoy the season celebrations.!
