How to Survive Christmas Without Putting on a Dress Size! (tai chi exercise video)

Written by Webmaster

Saturday, 03 January 2009

By Heather Gillam

Tis the season to be jolly - jolly stuffed-full-of-turkey, jolly tired, and jolly hung over. If only there was a way to enjoy Christmas without these seemingly inevitable feelings -and without being accused of being a party-pooper.

Christmas may not be the time of year to lose body fat, but it does not have to be the time of year to lose your health and fitness, and all the hard work you've been putting into it.

This article has been written to help you make better choices at Christmas and still eat what you fancy, and above all - enjoy yourself!

Our festive diets see a huge increase in protein, saturated fat and sugar intakes. At Christmas and New Year, GPs' surgeries are packed with people who have learned that these massive changes in eating and drinking habits lead to heartburn, sickness, diarrhoea or constipation, abdominal pain and bloating.

On the "average" Christmas Day, the average person consumes a whopping 7,000 calories! That's almost FOUR TIMES what most people should be eating a day! My personal favourite, Christmas pudding and brandy butter, is about 1,200 calories per portion!

Spending a few days sat on the sofa, eating excessive amounts of food causes the average person to put on 7-9 lbs of body fat, and to lose 3-5 lbs of muscle - leaving your body composition less than optimal. My previous articles in Monocle have discussed the importance of body composition in maintaining a healthy body; if you have an increased mass of muscle, your body will use more fat to 'maintain' the muscle, and hence your body fat percentage will lower, and your body composition will be better. If you eat excess sugar, protein and saturated fat, a lot of it will be stored on your body as fat; when you couple that with sitting and doing very little for a few days, causing your muscle mass to diminish (and therefore require less fat for maintenance) - the problem becomes clear.

It's no wonder there are so many people rushing to the gym and putting themselves on "detox diets" in January!

Follow these tips for a healthier festive season this year. With a little extra forward planning, you can avoid falling into many of the traps that seem unavoidable at Christmas.

Pre-Christmas Parties!

-It's difficult to avoid chocolate at Christmas so don't deprive yourself; enjoy the treats in moderation. A couple of chocolates is ok, whereas eating the whole box is overdoing it!

-At the office Christmas party (and any others you might be invited to) head for the crudites but go steady on the dips. Have a light snack before you go and you'll be less tempted towards the junky fatty vol au vents

-The food at office parties rarely seems as good as your 'real' Christmas dinner -so don't keep eating just for the sake of it!

Preparing for the day itself!

-The key is in the planning. Write a list of all the food shopping you need, then review it. You'll be able to control your sugar, saturated fat and salt intake much better - and it's much more fun to enjoy your Christmas food shopping rather than rushing round with the kids in tow on the morning all your relatives are arriving!

-Instead of buying pre-packaged greasy rubbish to nibble on mid-morning, why not have vegetable crudites and a small selection of dips instead? And do you really need brandy butter AND brandy cream for the Christmas pud?

-Leave the fresh produce until as late as possible so it won't go off. You don't want to find your carrots have gone a bit mushy when you go to cut them up on Christmas morning!

-Christmas can be a stressful, tiring time. We often eat as a result of these types of emotions. Make sure you take time out to relax and do a little exercise and you'll feel better for the break, and for not eating excessively

The Day Itself

-If you are the chef of the day, try not to pick all day - all those little bits do add up!

Breakfast

-Don't skip breakfast because you have a big lunch coming up. If your body is not desperate for food at lunch time you will be able to make much better choices

-Make up a healthy seasonal fruit platter for breakfast. Try apple, orange, pineapple and pear. Passion fruits and pomegranate will add variety and sweetness, and if you don't like the seeds you could blend them into a sauce for the fruit. Serve with natural yoghurt, some chopped walnuts and a drizzle of honey

Lunch

-Make cranberry sauce - it gives everything a festive feel and is full of antioxidants

-Make your stuffing with wholegrain breadcrumbs instead of white breadcrumbs, to give it a little more nutrition value

-Steam your veg instead of boiling it - it preserves the nutrients

-Remember that portion control is key. Have what you fancy, but not to excess. Try filling your plate with lots of veg and other good options then enjoy your favourites. Not only will you feel great for eating what you fancy in controlled amounts, but the fresh foods will power you up with nutrients to help boost your immune system after the partying has finished!

-Turkey is one of the leanest meats going, but did you know that anything over about 20g of protein in any 4 or so hours is likely to be stored as fat? Your body is unable to deal with any more so stores it to deal with at another time. Of course, with all the excess consumed over the festive period - your body doesn't need to get round to dealing with any of the stores!

Pudding

-If you've succeeded at dinner, you won't be feeling deprived, and you probably won't really have space for a pudding. But it's Christmas! Try to have only a small portion of pudding - it is really all you need and want; and there is always some left at the end of the day, that you can have tomorrow as well!

-Maybe Christmas pudding isn't your thing but everyone else round the table is having a bit. Pears poached in spices and red wine are lovely. There's a great recipe on the Times website (timesonline). I promise you won't feel deprived after it!

-If you have a cheese board after your pudding, remember what is noted above about protein!

-Mince pies are so much nicer if you make them yourself. It could be great fun to make them with the kids at the start of the Christmas holidays. Try making mince pies without the tops on, to cut down on the unnecessary pastry

General Tips

-Remember that it takes about 20 minutes for the hormone that communicates you are full to reach your brain - so bide your time before deciding whether you want seconds

If you are full, stop eating! It's a skill we are all pretty much able to do most of the year, but something we seem to forget at Christmas

Don't throw in the towel if you don't succeed at first. Don't assume that because you had a bit of cake there is no hope - accept you had the cake, be pleased that you enjoyed it; then move on

-Keep drinking water. It's too easy to forget with all the alcohol going round, but water is key to maintaining your energy levels and mood, and we often mistake signs of thirst for signs of hunger

-Alcohol wise, mulled wine is a better choice calorie wise than gin and tonic etc

-On Boxing Day, when you are trying to eat up the rest of the cold turkey, serve it up with lots of fresh salad (tomatoes, avocados, peppers, cucumber, carrots etc), wholegrain pitta breads and some hummus

-Try to go for a walk before and after your Christmas lunch. It will boost your metabolism, meaning your body will need to use a lot of what you have eaten, and doing a little more exercise will cause your desire for junky foods to decrease

-The best cure for a hangover is some fresh air and movement! A power walk for about 20 minutes will clear your head and get you ready for the day

Finally, remember that it is Christmas and it is supposed to be fun! If you overdo it and feel guilty just look forward to New Year and getting back on track - just don't become one of the people who join the gym in January for the year and visit only a couple of times! Take advantage of all the free motivational things my company can offer - my monthly newsletter provides exercise and eating tips; the reference section of my website has lots of free to download articles, and I'm available for a chat whenever you fancy!

Remember the key: Moderation, not Deprivation! You can enjoy Christmas without eating to excess!

Heather Gillam

Fitbiz Training

"Your personal trainer. Your way."

http://www.fitbiztraining.co.uk

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