Prevent Holiday Weight Gain - by the Numbers
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Well here we are. There are pumpkin things everywhere, and Halloween candy is a distant memory. This is, as we are told, the most wonderful time of the year. Unfortunately attitudes toward food and workouts now tend to skew toward the extreme: either of utmost importance or totally abandoned. Do you usually find yourself in one of these camps during the holidays? If so, I hope to help you reframe your mindset.
Remember that when you are focused on health and what your body needs, a lot of the junk (both literally and mentally) get crowded out.
For those who get hyper-focused on eating and working out: this sounds positive, correct? Well it can be, but I’m not sure in practice it is. What you can eat, and what you can’t. Keeping track, following rules, all that stuff. That just isn’t fun, and it is ultimately a little self-defeating. When you are too focused on what you’re eating, I’m not sure you can truly enjoy it. We are trying to strike a balance between maintaining healthy habits and enjoying a short season of unique things.
The opposite extreme is the attitude where you think “well it’s the holidays, so let’s really live it up now and worry about it on January 1.” This never works. When January 1 rolls around, you’ll be overcome with hangovers and regret.
The good news is that there is a lovely middle ground between those two mindsets.
True, you should be mindful about what you consume. You are usually conscious about what you ingest, so don’t use the holidays as an excuse to stop doing that. Remember, food is fuel and medicine, and you will need to continue to focus on the nutrients your body needs to survive and thrive. That being said, this is a festive season with a lot of fun treats that only appear this time of year, so enjoy them. As long as you’re getting your produce and protein and water, enjoy the gingerbread men or pumpkin pie or champagne. When you indulge, enjoy your treat rather than just inhaling it because it’s there.
There are 7 key goals here to hit every single day. No surprises here; in fact each is surprisingly simple. But if you focus accomplishing these, that’s taking mindshare away from thinking about what you “can’t” have and keeps you on a good path come the new year.
So from now until January 1 (and beyond, quite frankly), aim to do these 7 things every day for your body and your sanity. Avoiding holiday weight by the numbers is simple:
1. Get 7-9 servings of produce.
My undying philosophy on eating is to load up on fruits and vegetables (which is actually just scientific). Be sure you are continuing to eat your pretty rainbow, and you will be full enough that you won’t really want to overindulge.
2. Walk 10k steps.
You are not training for an ultra marathon right now. You need to continue to move as you were intended to though. The great thing about the added stresses this time of year is that they involve activities like shopping and cleaning – those are physical things that are a two-for-one special. Take your dog for a few loops around the neighborhood, clean out your shame closet for overnight guests to use, scrub your stove. This is also another reason to actually go to the store instead of ordering groceries online.
3. Drink 10 glasses of water.
It is a chronic debate as to how much water each person needs. Well, 10 glasses is a very basic goal and is more a reminder in nature. Your activity level, body type, medications, etc. will affect how much water your body actually needs. The key here is to remember to drink a lot of water. There will be some pretty salty foods you will be eating, so you might notice you are extra thirsty. If you are having that champagne, swap in a glass of H20 between each one of bubbles.
4. Alcohol no more than once or twice per week.
The champs is great; I won’t disagree. There are a lot of parties during the season, almost all of which feature alcohol. If you want to partake, it’s best to limit the frequency and amount that you imbibe. (I mention amount because you shouldn’t abstain all week then go crazy on the weekend!)
You will definitely notice a difference in your body when you limit alcohol. You’ll be less bloated, you’ll sleep better, your workouts will be better, your mornings will be at a completely different happiness level. Plus, the most obvious benefit is less (empty) calories that are, after all, pure sugar.
When your liver is healthy, all your metabolic processes run better. If you’re already stressing that puppy with more sugar and salt than usual, give it a break by not overloading it further with booze.
5. Get your protein - 0.36 grams per pound of body weight as a minimum.
The numbers here are ambiguous and fluid. Much like water consumption, it depends on your activity level. The minimum RDA protein recommendation is 0.36 grams multiplied by your body weight in pounds. This calculation is very basic and does not take into account goals or activity level. Look at this for what it is: a minimum.
To boost satiety and feel fuller longer (especially if you are active), aim to get more (I get at least double this).
6. Vitamin D - 2000 IU.
This is especially important for those of us living in the cold, dark purgatory known as the Midwest or Northeast. Everyone is different in terms of vitamin D needs due to health needs, age, and climate (you Hawaii people are so lucky!), so follow your doctor’s recommendations. A general recommendation would be 2000 IU.
7. Sleep 7-8 hours per night.
Sleep is the first thing to be cast aside when you’re busy. It’s actually quite important. In fact, if you’re really tired, you may be better off staying in bed for an additional hour of sleep versus getting in a workout.
Bonus element: Sneak in a workout.
It could be a barre class, a quick Tabata set, or a full-length routine you love, but a workout is a nice added boost for your energy and keeps your muscles thriving. Your goal is to maintain your fitness level and have a stress reliever/”me” time/energy recharge/mental break.
Remember that since your nutrition is pretty solid, you do not need to be running for an hour a day (quite honestly, you’ll end up getting hungrier eventually), and most of the “secret” behind maintaining your weight is nutrition.
If you don’t put it in your mouth, you don’t have to work it off, after all.
If all this sounds simple, it’s because it is. You don’t need to overcomplicate it. Enjoy this next month and get on with your bad self.
