5 EASY Ways to Minimize the Damage During the Holidays

Ok, guys… We ALL know that the holiday season is a DANGEROUS time for watching our figures… I know, I know… We want the food, fun, and fellowship with friends & family… We wanna relax & take part in our traditions & all that good stuff… BUT the general public usually gains a CONSIDERABLE amount of weight from Halloween to New Years… Hence the scads of weight loss New Year's resolutions… 

I'm sure that some people couldn't care less about keeping an eye on a DAMN thing but all that good food, but for those of you who don't wanna slide down that slippery slope to post-holiday chunkiness… Here are 5 simple ways to minimize the damage… 

*disclaimer* these tips may only apply to those of us who celebrate traditional US end-of-the-year holidays. I'm not as familiar with all of the holiday practices of other cultures, but if any of you want some tips for your respective culture's holiday eating practices, let me know & I'll do some research!

1. ONLY 3 DAYS MATTER: There are only 3 days in the time frame I mentioned… Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas… Reserve the big, bad eating for THOSE DAYS ONLY!!! Leave all of
the leftovers for family, friends, the homeless or whomever else you can think of, but eating the bad stuff for days on end WILL pack on the pounds… 












2. More meat & veggies, less bread-y things…: Ok, so we know the veggies are good for you, so I'll save the explanation on that one… However, did you know that eating more lean protein is actually good for your metabolism? It keeps you satisfied & keeps your metabolism in burn-mode! The bread-y things (the starches) give you the draggy, tired feeling & the carbs will just turn into a reason for you to hate your jeans in the morning!

3. WATER, WATER, WATER!!!: We all know that water has dietary superpowers, so take advantage of them! Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day during this season (or every day if you really wanna be spectacular) to help your body flush some of the extra fat, sodium, and sugar you're consuming AND to keep your metabolism revved up so that you'll burn this food up a little faster than usual.





4. TAKE IT EASY ON THE BOOZE: I know that the holiday season is the time when a lot of us wanna drink & have a good time & there's nothing wrong with that… BUT the alcohol does pack on the pounds… A glass or 2 of wine, A COUPLE times a week is not  the worst thing in the world… but don't think you can get blitzed night after night without any tummy ramifications (not to mention the mental, emotional, & physical damage that may follow)…




5. GET ON UP!!!: After you've eaten, you may be semi-comatose from the meal, but if you can manage, get up and do something! You don't have to go run a marathon or anything, but do something… Turn on some music & start dancing, play a game on the Wii, take an evening stroll around the living room, WHATEVER! Just do something that requires a little physical effort. The activity will help your digestion & put you into burn mode. 

So, there you go! Just a few tips that'll help you not gain another notch or 3 in your belt in the next couple of months… Enjoy your holiday season!!!