Don’t Let the Start of the Holiday Season Be the End of Healthy Habits

Whether we want to face it or not, Halloween is the real kick-off to the holiday season and Halloween is now upon us. Whether you consider yourself to have substantial willpower or not, this is the time of year when eating seasonal confections and festive meals become social events, often sabotaging all the hard work you put into your fitness plan the rest of the year. While people tend to blame the month of December as being the month where they gain a few pounds, it truly starts in October, with those little ‘fun size’ candy bars hanging around at the end of the month. That being said, here are some tips to reduce your chances of negating your good efforts.
We all know that retailers start putting seasonal items out earlier and earlier every year. While it’s tempting to be prepared early and stock up on bags of candy and those ‘bite size’ bars for your trick or treaters, hold off on bringing the candy into the house! I’ve never seen a store run out of candy, so by waiting until Halloween is closer, you are not gaining anything special that will disappear from the shelves, but you WILL be making it all available to you when you have a craving for a ‘little something sweet’ . Somehow, those smaller sized bars seem easier to rationalize and leave us feeling much less guilt. The reality is that even two of these small candies are two more than you usually have, and will catch up to you eventually. If you plan to indulge in Halloween sweets, approach November with a plan to add some extra time to your workout to keep a balanced approach to your health.

Try to use healthy substitutes in baked goods. Whether you surf the Web and find healthy fruits (and even veggies, believe it or not!) to use in lieu of cups of sugar or condensed milk, or you experiment on your own to find healthier alternatives. Taking some extra time at the supermarket to seek out alternatives (usually located in the direct vicinity of the original higher calorie/fat ingredient) will yield some guilt-free dishes that are still palate pleasing. Think seasonal produce and creative ways to use it rather than seasonal desserts and giving-in to your sweet tooth.
Continue to drink plenty of water during the holiday months. With cooler weather, no matter where you live, it doesn’t seem as easy to remember to hydrate during this time compared to summer months. Drinking water will maintain your metabolism and the assimilation of nutrients, also keeping your hunger at bay as you pass by that dessert table.
Don’t forget that while the holidays are a time of celebration, too many libations will add up in the way of calories; something we all tend to overlook when it comes to analyzing our dietary intake. Mixed drinks often hold a lot of sugar, as do seasonal beverages like hot buttered rum. So while you may be thinking back on a bad week where you gained a few pounds, scratching your head as to how salad, fresh fruit and sensible eating caused you a weight gain, think back to how many glasses of alcohol you may have had at that last holiday party and you’ll find your answer.

While some of the seasonal treats we like to partake in only come around during the holidays, make this a time when you also commit to maintaining your good health (or starting a health plan, if that be the case) in the coming new year. Most of all, make the holidays a time to celebrate friends, family and all that you have to be thankful for, including the choice to live a healthy lifestyle.

How to Stay Safe When Exercising

The word ‘exercise’ invokes various thoughts from everyone, but usually those of health and wellness. Did you know that exercising can be dangerous? In some cases it can be due to an existing medical problem, or danger can be found in the way you are exercising, perhaps with little to no official training or instruction. Whether you run in your neighborhood on your own, work out in a gym, or hike and bike, here are a few simple tips to keeping you safe and your body injury-free:
Check with your doctor before starting any diet/exercise regimen. We’ve all heard this, but how many of us have actually done it? If you are not in regular contact with your doctor or can’t even remember when your last physical was, it’s time to get one! You should have blood drawn at your physical which can monitor your cholesterol, your thyroid, blood cell count, etc. Even if you haven’t had this done in the past, it’s important to have a benchmark to compare to later. Take the time to visit your doctor; it’s worth it!
No matter what exercise you participate in, always stretch before starting. Even better, take a few moments before you even get out of bed in the morning to stretch! Not just the ‘Folgers commercial arms over the head stretch’, but take a few minutes to pull your legs up to your chest, stretch your back out, do a few neck rolls, and touch your toes a few times once you are out of bed. It’s amazing how stiff you can feel from sleeping in the same position all night; sometimes when you get the best nights’ sleep, you’ll find your muscles are tight the next morning. Starting your day off right, feeling good, is a best practice whether you exercise or not!

If you work out at a gym and opt to use the weight machines, DO make an appointment with one of the trainers to go through each machine with you. Many times there are plenty of people on staff where an appointment may not be necessary, but someone can go around with you and show you the different settings you may not even be aware of. Something as ‘small’ as not adjusting the seat to your own height will completely change how the exercise is done, most likely causing you frustration and possible injury. Also, a trainer can give you an idea of how heavy to start off, or ‘where you should be’; more weight does NOT always yield better results and will only cause you to be sore and more likely to quit! Up your reps before you increase the weight you’re lifting and be sure to see a gym staffer with any questions.
Running is great and provides an excellent outlet after a rough day at work, while allowing you to be ‘out and about’ your local area. Again, the biggest thing is to stretch a good 10 minutes prior to your run, and make sure you have properly fitting running shoes on. Running doesn’t just require ‘sneakers’; there are too many to choose from and if you think it will be no different to run in tennis shoes or walking shoes, think again. They are not meant for running; you need a strong, yet flexible sole with an appropriate amount of cushion and shock absorption. Be sure when you shop for sneakers, you tell the salesperson you are specifically looking for running shoes since some are even styled to have the look but not the benefits.
If you choose to enjoy the outdoors, whether running or hiking in the woods, wear reflective, light colored clothing. Out on the road, you want to be seen, and if you’re in the woods, the last thing you want is to be mistaken for a deer on a beautiful fall day. Even an orange bandana or the like will help. Running wooded trails makes for a nice relaxing activity, but I can absolutely say from my own experience, watch out for any roots exposed on the trail! This goes for hiking too; many a hiker has slipped on a wet root on the decline only to find themselves immediately knocked to the ground before they knew what hit them. Don’t let this be you; the potential to fall and hit a rock, or twist an ankle is too great. Take it slow on the decline, no matter what the weather, and keep it at a steady pace going up, with rest stops along the way.

Lastly, I can’t stress enough the importance of drinking plenty of water while exercising; your body is being depleted of important electrolytes and is losing water like crazy! Hydrate those cells by keeping a water bottle on hand and drink plenty of water once you’re home as well.
Taking the time to give a few simple considerations some thought before exercising will keep you safe, injury-free and motivated when you see the results of all your hard work!

Are Diet Programs Worth the Money?

It has been estimated that Americans spend approximately $50 BILLION on the best diet programs each year.  My first question of course, is where the heck all this money is coming from, but then of course to get to the ‘meat and potatoes’ (pardon the reference) of the issue, isn’t this a lot?  One has to question the effectiveness of the best diet programs, since logic would indicate that people are obviously trying more than one program.   $50 billion spent on the government level makes me feel sick enough, but to think that average citizens are spending their hard earned cash, especially in this economy, is downright unbelievable.    

Before I even sat down to write this piece, I knew exactly the way I feel about the cost of the best diet programs and the ramifications of how the cost combined with non-guaranteed results, feels.  Rather than just writing this based on my own experience, let’s take a look at an example; one most of us are familiar with.  No matter where you live, chances are you either drive by a local Jenny Craig location or you see/hear the commercials every day.  Most notably, Jenny Craig got a big boost in business and reputability when celebrity Kirstie Alley lost so much weigh on the system.  It was inspiring to see the monthly updated commercials touting Kristie’s progress, causing women and men alike to jump off their couches, bypass the stop at the McDonalds’ drive-thru and head directly to Jenny Craig so that they too, could start shedding the pounds.  The sad thing is that Kirstie Alley is now being featured on every gossip mag out there, being exploited and ridiculed for all the weight (plus some) that she gained back.  In this case, the diet plan obviously worked (along with the personal trainer she could afford to work out with for hours each day), but the diet program was not effective for long-term weight loss.

I myself have tried the best diet programs such as NutriSystem, Weight Watchers, Diet Workshop, SlimFast, Dexatrim, TrimSpa, I’ve been prescribed Meridia, and I’ve done the cabbage soup diet, the Atkins Diet, The Zone and the South Beach Diet.  How much money did I contribute toward our $50 billion?  Probably more than I could afford now that I think about it, but such is the beast of desperation when you feel trapped inside a body you never intended to be in.  While each of the programs I’ve referenced each has their own merits (obviously, or they wouldn’t still be in business), I will say a few of them gave me a jump start toward the weight loss I eventually achieved.  In the end, it was good ole fashioned ‘reduce the portions and increase the exercise’ that helped me shed over 85 pounds.

Everyone is always looking for the silver bullet; the magic pill or best diet program where you pay your money and they will take the weight off FOR you.  I’m here to tell you that the only person that can do that is a plastic surgeon and even HE sees people put the weight right back on after sucking it off their hips and thighs.   While it may be a slower process, it’s my opinion (and I realize it’s my opinion only, so feel free to comment if you feel differently) that diet programs are NOT worth the money.  Many of them have you eating unnatural, processed, dehydrated foods that you must purchase from them, when your body is meant to have fresh whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Do yourself a favor… the next time a NutriSystem or Jenny Craig commercial comes on, hand someone else your checkbook and insist that they do NOT give it back to you until the urge to run out and join these programs has passed.

Now go find yourself a fresh, healthy snack and drink plenty of water! And by the way, I’m sure the dog needs a good long walk too.