Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Stay Slim Over the Holidays

Your Holiday Sweets Survival Guide










Indulging in holiday sweets can sabatoge your effots to stay slim this holiday season. The average American consumes an astounding 2-3 pounds of sugar each week....this amount is sure to increase over the holiday season with the abundance of sweets available.

Treating yourself too often will most certainly...

- zap your energy
- disrupt your concentration and focus

- impair your immune system
- elicit mood swings
- accelerate the aging process
- increase cravings
- contribute to the Dreaded Holiday Weight Gain


Overeat sugary sweets and your body goes into fat storage mode as your body releases more insulin, a powerful hormone that signals your body to store fat.

Sugar is the Anti-Slimming Nutrient.

What is a Fit Yummy Mummy in the making to do?

You can enjoy the season and the best foods it has to offer without sacrificing your waistline. The following Holiday Sweets Survival Guide will help you practice Smart Indulging so you can Stay Slim this season.

1. Have a Sweet Treats Plan
Did you know no more than 10 percent of calories should come from sugary treats ?-That's about 30 to 50 grams of added sugar based on your calorie intake. The best way to not blow it is to plan ahead and know when you will treat yourself. This will help you stay on track - you have something to look forward to and you are not depriving yourself (which only leads to more intense urges to over-indulge).

2. Do Not Skip Meals
Skipping meals to "save room" for your sweets treats will only slow your metabolism down, so the fat storing impact of sugar has a greater effect on your body's ability to gain holiday pounds. Instead, eat supportive meals every 3 to 4 hours throughout the day. This will keep you satisfied and boost your metabolism - lessening the effect of sugar on your waistline.

3. Avoid Sugary Drinks
If you want to keep your sugar level in check, don't waste your consumption on a soda, juice or fancy coffee. Save these "empty" calories for the treats you truly desire.

4. Check your Self-Talk
Rid yourself of self-sabatoging views - such as "I need to eat this, it's the holidays, they only come once a year." This type of thinking will only cause you to spiral out of control with little to no concern of the choices you make each day. Instead think about what you can do to keep you fat loss efforts in check.

5. Just Say NO
Be aware of friends, family and co-workers who have a tendency to "push" holiday treats on you. You are not obligated to eat it - especially if it is not in your best interest. You have the ability and power to politely say no. Others do not have control over how you choose to treat your body - you do.

6. Be Mindful
Make each indulgence count by eating with intention. How much of it will satisfy a craving or holiday memory you have. How much do you really need? This is not the type of food that has fat burning qualities - remind yourself of the consequences and keep the indulgences in check.

The most important thing during the holidays is enjoyment of traditional foods, with a sense of control or moderation. Keep your sweet treats in check, schedule your Short Burst Exercises and enjoy a slim and trim body throughout the holidays.

2 comments:

Kelly said...

geez I hate it when I read your blog and feel like you are talking straight to ME. Just say NO to those M&MS!!! :P

Holly Rigsby said...

You inspire me Kelly! That's what this is all about...and you are doing it! : )