I’m more concerned that I lost my way with food and exercise a little bit while I was there. I wasn’t too bad, but I certainly didn’t follow all the suggestions I’ve written about here–at least not completely. My eating and exercise weren’t quite up to snuff.

I also got out of the habit of writing on this blog. It’s funny how it doesn’t take too much sometimes to get off track. But I’m back.

The lure of good food and wine did get to me at times. In general, I kept my wits about me, but I must say I also enjoyed myself at times. I gained 3 pounds during the week, but that was a lot better than I have done on other trips to Las Vegas. And I have managed to get a couple of them back off since returning.

I’m glad I wrote my last blog post about Healthy Holiday Articles. I learned some things myself from them. I especially found the article on Quick Workouts for Busy Times useful. I found myself having to fit some quick workouts into some short time frames. A couple of times, I dilly-dallyed about getting ready to go out, and didn’t have time to go for a workout. I was able to fit in a few reps of the five exercises in that article, before heading out on the town. It wasn’t a lot, but at least it was something.

We stayed in a timeshare (the Wyndham Grand Desert) while we there. It’s a couple of blocks back from the Planet Hollywood as seen in this photo.

The Wyndham has a really good fitness room. It has cardio equipment, machines, and free weights. I ran on the treadmill and lifted weights a couple of times while I was there. That made me feel better about all the good food and wine I was eating.

I’ve wanted to beat myself up about this a bit, and I have succeeded to some extent. However, when I think back on it, I don’t believe I really was all that bad. I had a good time, remained aware of what I was doing, and I didn’t really feel deprived. A few years ago, before I got smarter about all of this, this trip would have had a much more disastrous effect on me.

I know I won’t get my $20 back from the slot machines, but I know I am giving back the pounds I gained. I’ve decided that, instead of forgiving myself, I should congratulate myself.

It’s a new year, and like everyone else, I plan to make some improvements in myself. I liked the fact that I got some more workouts done while on vacation. That felt good, so I’m going to do more. I also really want (and need) to get better control over my time and productivity if I want to accomplish everything I want to. I don’t think it’s going to be a major transformation, but more of a getting back to what I know really works for me.

I also thought of several new ideas for blog posts while I was gone. I had hoped to write some of them up, but haven’t done that yet. *sigh* I’ll get to them, though. I’m still working on my transformation to become a real blogger.

So how did you spend your Christmas and New Year’s? Let us know in the comments. Do you have any regrets? If so, can you find a way to forgive yourself and move on? Or, can you congratulate yourself and move on? Either way, the past is past, and we need to keep looking forward and living in the present day.

photo credit: http2007 on flickr

I don’t suggest, expect, or want anyone to completely deny themselves the pleasures of this season. Obviously that includes eating and spending time with family and friends. Just try to stay aware of what you’re eating; stay in the present moment and really enjoy what you’re putting in your mouth. You don’t want to feel sorry in the long run for overindulging. Likewise, you don’t want to feel sorry in the long run for what you’ve given up.

I want to share three articles with you. I think they give some useful advice for getting through, and more importantly, enjoying the holidays. Holidays are meant to be enjoyed. No one wants to feel like Mr. Scrooge (from Charles Dickens’ classic story, A Christmas Carol), who hated Christmas.

One article provides some reasonable alternatives to high-fat, calorie-laden foods you might eat at a holiday party and still enjoy yourself. The second provides a quick 12- to 15-minute exercise routine you can use to burn off several of those calories and give you a head start into the New Year. The third one busts some myths about holiday eating that are often quoted as absolute truths.

I like these articles because they recognize you have choices. You don’t have to be a “victim” of the holidays, unable to withstand the onslaught. Likewise, you don’t have to be a “hero” either. Just be reasonably sensible.

1. Usable Eating Tips for Holiday Parties

I just read a good article about how to cut 1500 calories and a lot of fat from your Christmas meal. I saw it in a newsletter from eDiets.com. It was written by Susan Burke, a frequent eDiets Contributor and someone I know and trust. She starts off this article by asking:

How can you stay healthy throughout the holidays? It’s easy, when you’re a little creative, and a little disciplined too.
– Susan Burke, MS, RD, LD/N, CDE

Susan says a few simple substitutions can save you hundreds of calories and many grams of fat. She then goes on to offer examples of how to do that throughout a meal, from appetizers to dessert.

2. Quick Workouts for Busy Times

For some good advice about how to fit in some exercise in a quick timeframe, I suggest you read Simple Workouts for Busy Women. It’s targeted to women, but men can use it too. This was written by Raphael Calzadilla, who is the eDiets Chief Fitness Pro. He is an amazing source of inspiration and advice for anyone trying to lose weight and/or improve their fitness. I have been a member of the eDiets.com community for several years, and I met Raphael in person a couple of times.

Raphael has written many similar articles, but I particularly like this one for the holidays, when we are often very time-crunched. Here’s how he describes this series of five exercises:

No hour-long sessions in the gym or long bouts of cardio and no living with the guilt of dreading the thought of exercise. Just a realistic alternative to all the “noise” in the world of fitness that makes us hate exercising. No anatomy lessons today, simply something you can do in your living room. The only weight you’ll need is your own body.

This series of movements will take about 12 to 15 minutes. Yep, you are reading correctly. You can do them three to five times per week, and your entire body will be stimulated, and you’ll feel rejuvenated.
– Raphael Calzadilla, BA, CPT, ACE, RTS1

Raphael describes several variations you can do to make each if the exercises both easier and harder, depending on your fitness level. I think he explains how to do the exercises more clearly than many other articles I have seen written by others. If none of these sound doable for you, he gives you some other alternatives as well.

3. Busting 3 Myths

Finally, I found a good article from Cooking Light magazine’s website. It discusses three of the most common myths, describes the reality of them, and suggests “eat-smart” strategies to fight them.

Myth #1: Most people put on five to seven pounds during the holidays.
Myth #2: Eat a lot of turkey, and you’ll be snoozing shortly.
Myth #3: Great cooks and festive parties place our willpower at risk.

I hope you have a joyous and healthy holiday and a happy New Year!

For disclosure purposes:
I have been a member of eDiets.com for several years. It’s a member site that provides excellent advice on both nutrition and fitness. I’m just a member; I don’t have an affilation with them that would make me any money from writing this–at least not as of the time of writing.

cat photo credit: Per Ola Wiberg (Powi) newspaper photo credit: alancleaver_2000

Have you figured out how to handle this feast without paying for it in pounds? I’m not going to kid you. It’s tough, but it can be done.

How I’ve Done It

I used to weigh 240 pounds, until one day I finally realized it was going to kill me and how much it hurt. I’ll tell you more about that in future posts. For now, let’s just try to get through Thanksgiving. These techniques and others helped me lose 100 pounds in 16 months, and they continue to help get me through the holiday season each year. When I was working on losing the weight, I managed to stay exactly the same weight the day after Thanksgiving and continued to lose.

We’ve probably all seen lots of tips on how to avoid overeating on Thanksgiving. I’m not going to repeat them all here. Besides, trying to remember a whole lot of rules, much less actually follow them, can be a recipe for disaster (pardon the pun).

So here are my top 5 tips, along with some warnings:

1. Plan ahead and eat a variety of foods. Don’t deny yourself all your favorites, but make sure you eat appropriate amounts. Eat more of foods that will fill you up with fewer calories.

Warning: Salads and soups can be good for you, but not all of them are. High-fat salad dressings and creamy soups can go right to your waistline.

2. Eat only the foods you really love when eating high-calorie items. I use this same rule when I go on cruises. Make sure you do eat the more healthful foods, such as white-meat turkey and steamed vegetables. Eat a tiny sliver of pumpkin pie for dessert, if you need one. Savor the taste of every bite.

Warning: Don’t use this as an excuse to fill up only on the high-calorie items like chips and pecan pie.

3. Follow the “one-plate rule.” This one has been the most important tip for me. It’s also the easiest tip to follow, because it’s really simple. I take a medium-sized dinner plate (not a small one, like some people say) and fill it with food following the guidelines above. Then I don’t go back again. That’s it.

I find that I get in the most trouble when I say I’ll just get one more bite of this or that. The next thing I know, I’ve filled my plate up again, usually with things I don’t really want all that much.

Warning: Fill your plate, but don’t put a huge pile on it. That’s defeating the whole purpose.

4. Drink as much water as you can. Turkey and other Thanksgiving foods tend to be high in sodium. Water helps flush that out, so you can cut down on that bloated, puffy feeling you can get. It also has the added benefits of keeping your hands and mouth occupied. Some say it helps fill you up, too. To be honest, I’m not so sure of that, but it certainly can’t hurt.

Warning: I can’t really think of any warnings needed for this. Drinking water is always a good thing.

5. Get some exercise. Go for a walk or run. Enjoy the outdoors. If you’re up for a bit more of a challenge, try a “turkey trot” in the morning. These are low-key, friendly races. Although you can find some longer ones, most of them are 5 kilometers long (3.1 miles), and you can walk or run. Many of them also have 1-mile “fun walks” with no competition pressure at all. Many of my friends have had a great time doing these with their kids.

After eating, consider playing football instead of watching it. Record the game and watch it later if you must. Besides the health benefits, you can skip all the annoying commercials.

Warning: Don’t assume that you can eat as much as you want, just because you got a little exercise. Check out the calorie calculator I mentioned above to see how much exercise you might really need.

Helpful Calculators

This fun and simple Thanksgiving calorie calculator will estimate total calories for you and tell you how far you would have to walk to burn the same number of calories. It can be very eye-opening.

The calculators for food calories and calories burned at CaloriesPerHour.com are my favorites for helping me plan and track what I’m eating and doing.

Closing Thoughts

In summary, embrace Thanksgiving and don’t be afraid of it. Just remember these simple rules, enjoy your family and friends, and keep everything in moderation. You’ll feel better both physically and emotionally.

You can also follow these tips in other situations, such as parties and vacations. I’ve even gotten through those notorious food-laden cruises without too much damage to my waistline, by following these simple rules.

Let me know how you do. Do you have any other tips that have worked particularly well for you?

Robyn

photo by LarimdaME on flickr