I know it is hard to believe but the Holiday Season is fast approaching. There are only 38 days until Thanksgiving then we will be in full swing of another hectic, activity-packed holiday season.
I don’t know about you but I have already started to plan for the shopping, parties, workplace events, etc. I have also started to think about and adjust my diet accordingly.
Do you want to lose some weight before the holidays get here? It is doable, but don’t wait until next Monday...get started now by making simple adjustments.
First, don’t eat after 7:00PM, or if you are like me and don’t get to eat dinner until then, make it a light meal, having your heavier meal at lunchtime.
Second, limit your snacks. If you feel you can’t wait until the next meal to eat something, make it a healthy snack. A piece of fruit and some protein will help you feel satisfied until your next meal.
Remember, eating 500 fewer calories a day adds up to losing one pound a week. Reducing your portion sizes along with not eating in the evening will help you reach your weight loss goals.
Keep moving! Find at least 10 minutes, three times a day to get in some activity.
A great way to burn calories at work is take the stairs.Going up and down the stairs for 10 minutes is a great cardio workout and calorie burner; it is also a quick way to get those legs in shape.
Being proactive about eating healthy meals and getting in your workouts will help you feel amazing, and you will have the energy to keep up with all the activities that the holiday season brings.
It's never to early to prepare!
Inspiration and News
Have a Walk, Not a Donut!
We have all heard the saying “Getting in shape is 80% diet and 20% exercise." While that is accurate, you need to combine cardio with strength training in order to be successful in maintaining weight loss.
Did you know that after the age of 20 our metabolism drops 3% every decade? And at some point in our 30s we start to lose muscle mass. We all know muscle burns more calories than fat. Therefore adding weight bearing exercises to your workouts is a great way to help combat both a slowing metabolism and muscle loss.
Think about this: The average glazed doughnut is 255 calories. A 155-pound person will need to walk (average speed 3½ miles per hour) for one hour or do one hour of vigorous weightlifting to burn off that doughnut. If you weigh less than that, unfortunately you will have to work harder or longer to burn off that glazed doughnut.
But it takes only about 2,921 steps (just over a mile) to burn off a 3 ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast. That is fairly easy to do!
Walking helps lower the risk of...
coronary heart disease by 9.3%,
diabetes by more than 12%,
cholesterol by 7%,
and high blood pressure by more than 7%.
This alone should motivate everyone to walk more often!
How many steps do you walk per day? I always hear, "I don’t have time to walk 30 minutes every day." Well, can you find ten minutes a day, three times a day? That’s all it takes to begin to see your health improve!
My favorite advice to someone beginning a diet and exercise program is this: baby steps. Making small changes to your diet and exercise routine is more sustainable than making big changes that you have a hard time maintaining.
New Healthy Habits!
I have talked a lot about nutrition the past few months and as I was trying to figure out what to write about this month, attitude, excuses, procrastination kept running through my mind. We all know the things we should be doing every day to keep ourselves healthy but sometimes we get off track and can’t seem to get back on track without a nudge or even a push.
I was talking to a client today who told me why she tried the 30 Days to Healthy Living we are now offering at Totally Fit. It was because she had gotten off track and was having a hard time getting back to eating healthy. Finding what works for you is key - and the 30 Days to Healthy Living worked for her. It's important to realize that what worked before may not work this time.
It is the same thing with working out. We can come up with a million excuses for not working out today but the reality is once you show up, you are glad you did and actually feel better.
Years ago people didn’t work out because they were more active in their daily lives. Even doing laundry was time consuming and labor intensive. Jobs were less sedentary. Now most people work at jobs where we sit all day. We don't even have to get up to make or send a copy! However, we are more stressed than ever before and really need to make the time to work out and de-stress.
Find a program that gets your serotonin levels up and the endorphins going, and you will keep coming back for more. Those feel-good hormones help to keep the cortisol levels down, which in turn helps to keep your weight down. So taking a yoga, weight training, core, balance and cardio, or maybe even a Zumba class is just what the doctor ordered.
I know old habits die hard but making new healthy habits are all good for our mind, body and spirit.