Unbuckle your belts. It's time to celebrate the act of overeating. ...
If alcohol is part of the tradition, set a limit before you arrive and avoid cream-based cocktails and sweet drinks. Reduce the amount by having nonalcoholic drinks like sparkling water throughout the day. Alcohol is full of empty calories and can make smart commitments magically disappear from your mind in an instant.
Consider how your body felt last year after a day of over indulgence. More than likely as if you traded places with the turkey - plump and stuffed. Keep that thought in mind when yet another piece of pumpkin pie is passed under your nose. Just say "no." Smaller plates and moving away from the food when dinner is over also are wise decisions.
Thanksgiving seems to be open season on starch. Sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, corn, dressing and rolls. Even a few bites of each one is too much and will leave you miserable. One cup of starch is plenty and will leave you satisfied. If you want a little of each, make sure that together it is no more than 1 cup.
If you are preparing the Thanksgiving meal, send leftovers home with your guests and prevent the next day mile-high turkey sandwich complete with cranberry sauce.
Try selecting foods that are seasonal rather than traditional. After all, you really can have mashed potatoes any day of the week. Enjoy the other wonderful vegetables that this season brings.
Don't overestimate the size of your stomach. It is no bigger than two fists. Imagine that before you devour six fists of food.
Eat slowly. There's plenty of time and more than enough food. Allow your brain to get the message from your stomach that it's full. It takes about 20 minutes to get the signal.
Get your workouts in! Move for at least 30 minutes each day even if it comes in three 10-minute bouts.
It's natural to have days when we can't stick to the nutritional plan, but following a few of the tips and staying physically active will keep you from veering too far off track. It will also give you one more wonderful thing for which to be thankful.
Cindy Boggs, fitness presenter, author and Activate America director, has been an ACE-certified coordinator/instructor since 1989. Send your questions about fitness, training or health to YMCA of Kanawha Valley, 100 YMCA Drive,
Charleston, WV 25311, or e-mail cindys...@aol.com. Look for Cindy's fitness advice book, "CindySays ... You Can Find Health in Your Hectic World" on her Web site www.cindysays.com or contact the YMCA at 340-3527.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Unbuckle your belts. It's time to celebrate the act of overeating. ...
Wait a minute. Aren't we supposed to be commemorating the act of giving thanks?
Yes. So then why is it we seem to skip over the grateful part and go full bore into the eating everything we can heap onto our oversized plate?
I know, it's a holiday and we shouldn't obsess over the extra helping of this and that or the inability to say no to extra offerings of decadent sweets, sauces and alcohol. As you know, I am an advocate of everything in moderation, including moderation that allows us to have occasional "cheat days."
For some of us, however, this free pass will persuade us to chuck the sensible eating plan until the start of the new year. When this happens, it translates into a monthlong feeding frenzy.
I don't like being the bearer of bad news, but holiday time can really sabotage our healthy intentions. It goes something like this:
You've been active throughout the summer, which spawned healthier eating habits. You started feeling stronger and more focused. When fall arrived, you really got serious about the workouts.
Oh no ... Boooo! Halloween was upon you and all its sweet treats threw you off track just enough you let your guard down. Right behind it came Thanksgiving and too many obligations gave you no choice but to eliminate some of the training you had built into your schedule.
If you identify with this, it's easy to see why we find ourselves lamenting over our bad health habits by year's end. With the feasting season approaching now is not the time to throw in the towel. Now is the time to be a little more dedicated to the program. Exercise must find its way back onto your books. Also, so that you have no regrets and to avoid the average 5 to 7 pounds of weight gained between Thanksgiving and the new year, try the following tips for a healthful holiday season:
Reinforce your health goals in your mind. Think back to why you first adopted a fitness and nutritional plan and try not to stray too far from its limits. Remember that it's much easier to jump back on the wagon if you get back on quickly.When you are facing a holiday feast like Thanksgiving, drink a glass of water and eat something healthful 30 minutes before the meal. Curbing the appetite will help you make better choices including knowing when to push yourself away from the table.If alcohol is part of the tradition, set a limit before you arrive and avoid cream-based cocktails and sweet drinks. Reduce the amount by having nonalcoholic drinks like sparkling water throughout the day. Alcohol is full of empty calories and can make smart commitments magically disappear from your mind in an instant.Consider how your body felt last year after a day of over indulgence. More than likely as if you traded places with the turkey - plump and stuffed. Keep that thought in mind when yet another piece of pumpkin pie is passed under your nose. Just say "no." Smaller plates and moving away from the food when dinner is over also are wise decisions.Thanksgiving seems to be open season on starch. Sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, corn, dressing and rolls. Even a few bites of each one is too much and will leave you miserable. One cup of starch is plenty and will leave you satisfied. If you want a little of each, make sure that together it is no more than 1 cup.If you are preparing the Thanksgiving meal, send leftovers home with your guests and prevent the next day mile-high turkey sandwich complete with cranberry sauce.Try selecting foods that are seasonal rather than traditional. After all, you really can have mashed potatoes any day of the week. Enjoy the other wonderful vegetables that this season brings.Don't overestimate the size of your stomach. It is no bigger than two fists. Imagine that before you devour six fists of food.Eat slowly. There's plenty of time and more than enough food. Allow your brain to get the message from your stomach that it's full. It takes about 20 minutes to get the signal.Get your workouts in! Move for at least 30 minutes each day even if it comes in three 10-minute bouts.It's natural to have days when we can't stick to the nutritional plan, but following a few of the tips and staying physically active will keep you from veering too far off track. It will also give you one more wonderful thing for which to be thankful.
Cindy Boggs, fitness presenter, author and Activate America director, has been an ACE-certified coordinator/instructor since 1989. Send your questions about fitness, training or health to YMCA of Kanawha Valley, 100 YMCA Drive,
Charleston, WV 25311, or e-mail cindys...@aol.com. Look for Cindy's fitness advice book, "CindySays ... You Can Find Health in Your Hectic World" on her Web site www.cindysays.com or contact the YMCA at 340-3527.
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