Get a Svelte Start to the New Year
Stuffing is better left in the turkey than padding your rear view, but surviving the holidays with your waistline intact is easier said than done. "During the colder months, our metabolism has a tendency to slow down as we become less active and consume more comfort foods. Adding large holiday meals to this equation is a recipe for some serious weight gain," explains Jeff Halevy (HalevyFitness.com) - one of the two fitness experts we turned to in our quest for a skinny start to 2009.
Keep Working Out What with parties, holiday events, shopping, and other claims on your time, your schedule just went from mega-busy to ridiculously busy...but do you really want to start another New Year off with the same resolution about losing the same extra holiday pounds? Do yourself a favor, and take Halevy's advice: keep up your steady workout routine throughout the holidays.
Curb Your Appetite Sitting down at the food-laden holiday table when you're starving is a virtual guarantee of over-feasting. Instead, before any big, festive meals, Halevy has his clients snack on healthy foods like carrots and hummus. Alternatively, drink a protein-loaded, carb-light supplement like Tight Curves. Recommended by Kristal Richardson (KristalRichardson.com), a professional figure competitor and ACE-certified personal trainer, she gives it to her female clients; in addition to nutrition, it also addresses issues of hormonal changes, mood management, and osteoporosis. Available at TightCurves.net.
Nutrition Up Your Feast Halevy, a certified National Academy of Sports Medicine trainer, recommends increasing the nutritional quality of dishes like stuffing, mashed potatoes, or gravy by adding a supplement like My Daily Veggies, made from 100% dried whole organic vegetables in
the green, red, and orange-yellow groups. Each salt-, sugar-, and preservative-free packet contains a whopping two full servings of veggies per packet, as well as antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and phytonutrients like lycopene (from tomatoes), lutein (spinach), beta carotene (carrots), sulforaphane (broccoli), and glucosinolates (kale). Available at DrinkYourVeggies.com.
Portions Matter Give the oversized servings of carb-heavy stuffing and mashed potatoes a miss, and load up on protein rich turkey and squash - but keep an eye on your total intake. "In order to keep the stuffing in the turkey, women need to focus on portion control," advises Kristal. Although many of her female clients pile their plates with healthier veggie options, they often don't realize they're still overeating. The key is to stay aware of what you're eating, and remember: not only will your clothes continue to fit, but you won't be saddled with that unpleasant stuffed feeling afterward.
REDUCING THE DAMAGE:
Walk...A Lot Both before and after a big holiday meal, Kristal advises taking a long, metabolism-friendly walk.
Leave the Leftovers Jeff's male clients, in particular, tend to do a lot of post-feast snacking on carb-heavy portions of gravy, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. Tasty, yes, but lacking in the important nutrition provided by healthier veggies which don't pack on the pounds.
Both Jeff and Kristal agree that maintaining a balance between nutrition, exercise and portion control is a smart way to keep from tipping the scales after a holiday feast. Your skinny jeans thank you in advance.
- Lesley Scott
(photos: holiday meal - fitsugar.com; working out - thehousedepot.net; couple walking - upenn.edu)
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