So the holiday season is now officially upon us, and we even have the snow to make it look like winter (at least here in Vancouver). There is ONE hideous word that I associate the holidays with even though there are many others that start with F.
FUN. FESTIVE. FAMILY. FINANCIALLY DRAINING. FATIGUE. FLAMBOYANT. FOOD.
FAT
It’s the last word that really stands out in my mind. I’m sure it’s the same for you.
The F word.
The dirty little word that is synonymous with the holidays. This time of year marks the fantastically festive fun family food-a-thon followed by FAT gain. Phew…that’s a sentence for you.
But, it’s ok. After all the food comes the Resolutions and the promises you make to yourself to shed the ugly fat that you just gained.
Well, there is a way around that. Instead of tinkering with the F word why don’t you resolve to stay the same weight over the holiday and not gain 1 pound of fat?
Here’s a challenge for you…step on the scale right now and mark down your weight. Weigh yourself again on January 1st.
Is your weight the same?
So the challenge is to keep your weight the exact same as it is right now until January 1st. If it does stay the same then you should jump with both feet into your New Years Resolutions because you will probably achieve them.
If not, and the number on the scale went up (sad face) it’s time seek out some nutrition coaching. Research shows that those who gain weight over the holidays never lose it and each year it accumulates.
To help you win your personal challenge follow my 4 tips for fighting fat loss below. They might seem unconventional but they work.
1. Add 1 heaping tbsp of ground chia seeds to your breakfast daily. Chia seeds are a fantastic mixture of good quality fats and fiber. Adding ground chia will help to keep your blood sugar levels stable throughout the day (look at all the F words in that sentence J)
2. Eat breakfast within 1 hour of waking up EVEN if you aren’t hungry. It’s important to spark your metabolism first thing in the morning. Eating a low glycemic breakfast with some protein helps to rev up your metabolism rather than promote fat storage.
3. Drink 2 Liters of water per day. Dehydration masks itself as hunger and food cravings. Enough said.
4. Avoid high sugar/processed carbs all together but especially after 3pm. Your body needs complex high carbs to function optimally during the day but as the day comes to an end if you don’t burn the energy from the carbs it’s likely to get stored as fat. If fat loss and/or weight maintenance is your goal then avoid most medium to high glycemic carbs after 3pm. Look at the list below of which carbs to avoid:
Granola Bars Milk Chocolate
Pasta Cookies
Bread Cereal
Rice Frozen Yoghurt
White Potatoes Ice Cream
Bananas Calorie Filled Beverages
Oranges Pop
Grapes Juice
Crackers Candy
Chips
Cake
This isn’t a complete list but I’m sure you get the idea. Take my challenge seriously. Go and weigh yourself. If you find you are using the F word way too much over the next couple of weeks give me a call at 778-836-3831 or email me at northshorenutrition@shaw.ca.
In good health,
Cheryl Wahl, RHN
PS You don’t need to wait until January 1 to fight the F word. Stay tuned for my BIG boxing day sale announcement.
