 Ask an inSHAPE Personal Trainer. Is it possible to enjoy the holidays without feeling guilty? I already feel like I've gained weight since the summer, and here we are at Thanksgiving. How can I get through this week feeling healthy and happy?
In many ways, Thanksgiving is the most challenging of holidays from a health point of view. According to the Caloric Control Council (who knew this existed), the average American will consume 4500 calories on Thanksgiving Day alone, more than double the number of calories most people should consume per day to maintain a healthy weight. But who are we kidding. The holiday weekend for most of us will also include left-over meals the following days, snack foods and cocktails enjoyed among friends and family seen once a year, and less time on our feet. With that in mind, here are our top five holiday fitness tips and food suggestions.
1. Drink a big glass of ice cold water with lemon juice as soon as you roll out of bed. Your body will get turned on and start churning into metabolic burn mode, because it will need to heat the water to digest it. The citric acid in the lemon juice also helps boost your metabolism, plus it provides you with vitamin c, something everyone needs, particularly during cold and flu season.
2. Exercise right away. Forget whatever habits you may already have in terms of fitness, and even if you already plan to workout later in the day, take your glass of water to the living room, turn on the parade, and start with 60 seconds of jumping jacks. This should get your brain on board to do a little more, and this week's workout is a very basic, equipment free session that you can print out and refer to all weekend long. Thirty minutes would be ideal, but even 10 minutes will provide your body with energy burning benefits. Don't think about these first two tips. Make it happen.
3. Do NOT skip breakfast! This is probably the most important tip we can give you to feel good about your holiday weekend, because so many people skip breakfast on the day of Thanksgiving in order to be really hungry when mealtime approaches. This does not work and may cause your body to switch to survival mode, which means that it quickly converts foods to fat because it doesn't know when you will feed it again. People also skip breakfast the day AFTER Thanksgiving, because they still feel full from their big turkey dinner. This is also bad because the body still needs its engines turned on in the morning. The actual food is long digested from the previous night, so skipping breakfast again forces the body to have to guess when it might get its next source of energy. This in turn means that when you do eat, more food is allocated for long term storage, since the body doesn't trust that you'll feed it when it needs fuel.
4. Try everything you want in small doses first. The key to happily managing your appetite during big holiday meals is to eat what you look forward to. No one should be deprived of that, so let yourself off the hook. Add small amounts of everything that you enjoy onto your plate but don't completely fill it up. Leave one third to one half empty. Eat slowly and enjoy your meal. When you go back for seconds, which we recommend, pick two-three items that are your most favorite and pass on the items that you won't remember later. This way you get that second plate, but you don't have to feel guilty about going for it because you planned ahead and kept the first plate practical.
5. Sip, don't gulp, water during your meal. A big glass of water before a meal is a great way to manage the probability of over-eating. During the meal, however, you should sip small amounts of your beverage so that your stomach can properly digest its food. Excess water washes away enzymes that are needed for efficient food breakdown and cellular delivery, so wait 15-20 minutes after you've completed your meal to drink a big glass of water. If you find that you feel the need to wash your food down, chances are you've got too much food in your mouth for you to effectively chew it up and swallow. So take small bites and chew everything well. Sip a bit of your beverage every few bites, and hydrate a bit later.
There are so many other suggestions that we can make, but we wanted to keep it short. However, here's one other thing for those of you who are cooking meals this holiday: flavor comes in many forms, so use butter and oils as needed but round out flavor profiles with herbs and spices. Sage, tarragon, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves are among some of our favorites during Thanksgiving. Onions, garlic, and parsley are also great ways to added depth and excitement to dishes without adding extra calories so spice up your traditional dishes and enjoy!
Holiday Survival Guide - Free Tip Part IV
Four weeks ago we commited to providing you with a new holiday applicable tip each week. If you are playing along, so far you are sleeping at least seven hours each night, paying attention to your hydration levels, and skipping the gym. Or at least adding some in home routines to those days when you simply cannot make it to the gym. This week we've already written about getting through Thanksgiving guilt free, but we we also want you to have the very best week possible.
This week: Play Games!
A hundred years ago, people didn't go to the gym to exercise. There weren't pilates classes, boot camps, and spin spas. Our industry has grown out of conditions of overeating, sedentary lifestyles, vanity, and limitless consumerism, but the very basic principles haven't changed. And time with friends and family is an excellent opportunity to get back to the basics. Play games - don't just watch them.
Pack a soccer ball, football, or a frisbee in your bag when you head home this week, and get outside for some active fun with your loved ones. Play hide and seek, toss a baseball, grab that old Twister game, or just roll around on the floor and tickle each other. It's impossible not to enjoy, especially if you have kids around - have a wonderful holiday and we will see you next week! Four weeks to go until our New Year's countdown...
inSHAPE is committed to your successfully active lifestyle, and if you need any assistance getting started with a fitness program or nutritional regimen, please let us know. Give us a call (212.362.1001) or send an email (info@inshapellc.com) so that we can help you and your heart stay fit and healthy. Click here for last week's edition, and check out our blog for a new in home workout each week.
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