ShFit Talk #26 - Keeping off Those Holiday Pounds

I like to think that I am like most people, that basically November and December are the month this fit girl eats all the food...LIKE ALL THE FOOD. I used to always gain a few extra pounds and they would sneak up on me during these months thanks to all the delicious eggnog, pie, stuffing (I freaking love stuffing), turkey, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, holiday parties, and vacation meal cheating. Did you know that the average American gains 5 lbs (2.27 kg) between Thanksgiving and New Years Day. But it is not just Americans, this is a worldwide occurrence. No wonder so many of us start the year of with a resolution to “Lose 5 lbs”.

Some of it does have to do with water retention, but not all of it! Some people will say the water retention is 100% to blame, but weeks and weeks of overeating….well caloric increase, decrease in exercise = fat gain. Not just weight gain.

So today I wanted to share some tips that have helped me over the years to be able to get back home and be able to get on the scale without fear. Trust me, in the past I would've much rather tossed my scale out the window, but I braved it out.

Anyway, here are some tips! Take em’ or leave em’ :-)

1. I always take gym clothes. Not because I plan on working out every day, but because if I take up precious cargo space with gym clothes, I feel the need to use them. The airline charges for everything nowadays so I almost guilt myself into it. Most hotels now have fitness centers, but heck, even a run around the local area or a quick 30 min HIIT workout in the hotel at least once makes up for taking up that luggage space. I have found some great places that I have wanted to explore later when I head out for those early morning runs in every single country I have been to. It has never failed to help me get my bearings, learn my surroundings and find something I never would have found otherwise.

2. My husband hates the fact that I always want to walk, like everywhere. Oh it is only 15 minutes away walking, easy, let's do it. He always lets me take a cab, train, tuktuk, subway or rickshaw. But walking everywhere helps me keep my waistline happy while I am on vacation. If you are visiting a big city and staying in a hotel, most likely there are tons of things to see within walking distance. Instead of jumping into a cab, or taking one of those hop on/hop off tour buses, why not try walking, check out local trails, you may end up seeing some amazing things that you would otherwise have missed, I can almost guarantee you will.

3. Try a little bit in a lot of places. This tip I have to give credit to my husband. When we go out, often my eyes are bigger than my stomach and I end up only managing to eat a few things before I am full and I feel like I am missing out on all the good food so I try to keep eating thus...making my belly bigger. Thankfully my husband thinks more than I do and suggested maybe taking smaller portions and having a smaller plate. I can always go back for seconds at these things or we can try a new place completely. When we went to New York last, we stopped by 4 different places for dinner, sharing a single appetizer or dish and then moved on to the next. This lets us try so many amazing restaurants while not over eating or breaking our budget. Plus, I am not in college anymore struggling to figure out how I am going to eat and pay rent in the same month, so no need to try to shove 48 hours worth of food into my body at one time. I am grateful for that, truly.

4. My last and probably most important tip is to stay hydrated. Honestly, when we get thirsty our brain sometimes tells us we are hungry because it literally can’t tell the difference so we eat. The best bet is to drink...water. Not that delicious eggnog with rum...I know I know...but good old H2O. Make sure you drink water with your meals, drink water even when you are drinking alcohol (I mean you can drink more than one thing at a time), but stay hydrated. Yes I know it is cold outside and when it's cold you don't think you are thirsty, but trust a girl, you are. Give your body water! Love your body and care for it, no matter what time of year.

So there you have it, four simple ways to keep those extra pounds from sneaking up on you over the next 4 weeks. Maybe this year your New Year's resolution won't have anything to do with weight loss and instead you can set a goal for muscle growth or body toning or just finally getting out of this Covid lockdown and finally being able to travel again.

References:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4336296/#:~:text=It%20is%20commonly%20asserted%20that,few%20data%20support%20this%20statement.

• https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/holiday-weight-gain-is-a-worldwide-phenomenon-study-suggests

• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/tips-to-avoid-holiday-weight-gain#:~:text=Sleep%20deprivation%2C%20which%20is%20quite,11%20%2C%2012%20%2C%2013%20).

• https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/holiday-weight-how-to-maintain-not-gain/art-20390088#:~:text=Some%20evidence%20suggests%20that%20people,are%20already%20overweight%20or%20obese.