Thursday, November 26, 2009

How to beat the holiday bulge


How to beat the holiday bulge

Courtesy of Courtney H. Diener-Stokes
Debbie Davis of Amity Township at Curves, Douglassville. Her tip: "Moderation! Watch what you eat; you can probably find low-fat recipes out there if you want to eat and make cookies. Watch your portions and then get up and do something, like go for a walk to get your mind off of food." 
 
 


It's that time of year, when weight gain can creep up on you. Here are some tips for coping with temptations through the Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons.



By Courtney H.Diener-Stokes
Reading Eagle correspondent







Before you sneak a treat out of your child's Halloween goodie bag, think again or, maybe not. Some Berks County fitness buffs revealed the cookie monster that lies within and how they cope with holiday temptations. Others talked about how to keep themselves in check without falling off the wagon. And a local fitness expert provides tips on customizing a strategy that works best for you, based on the state of your current weight and physical activity regimen.


Do you deserve to splurge? Read on to find out if you can afford to indulge in all of the holiday goodies soon coming your way.


Michael Good, 57, Reading, goes to the Yoga Inlet, West Reading, two days a week to take yoga and meditation classes along with private yoga therapy sessions. He has been practicing yoga for eight years. Otherwise, he spends his time walking and engaging in healing arts.


Due to a recent change in his eating habits, the holidays will be different for Good this time around.


"This year I'm going to be better," he said, in contrast to holidays of the past where he has been indulgent. "A few months ago I gave up white sugar, white flour and most meat."


Consistency will be key to enable Good to keep his focus on what he thinks is best for him at his age.


"I keep doing yoga and trying to meditate twice a week, and I try to keep doing that during the holidays," he said.


Good emphasized he's at an age where he needs to be more careful and aware of what he eats.


The temptation to resist comes with its share of challenges.


"Everyone I know tries to give me homemade cookies for Christmas; everyone wants to feed me all the time," he said, adding he usually receives sweets in lieu of gifts because he doesn't need any knickknacks and he doesn't like people to pick out clothes for him.


Growing up Pennsylvania Dutch, where food has always been an emphasis in his family, makes the change in eating habits very drastic for Good. The biggest point he makes to combat all of the temptations you're offered during the holidays is don't be afraid to say no.


Chad Arnold, a personal trainer/director in training at Gold's Gym, Wyomissing, talked about the excess of food one is confronted with during the holidays.


"Typically, the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays consist of at least one large meal with family or friends; however, before or after that meal, other food and drink options that are not normally available during other times of the year are usually offered," he said. "Sometimes, people tend to subconsciously indulge in these items throughout most of the day when not even hungry."


Debbie Davis, 42, Amity Township, who works out at Curves, Douglassville, four to five times a week, had a confession to make.


"Cookies are my weakness," she said.


However, Davis, who generally does circuit training along with a weighted hula hoop for her daily workout, is all for indulgence in moderation.


Despite eating a cookie here and there, like Good, Davis also recently changed the way she eats.


"I watch the fat in what I eat," she said. "I make it healthier, so I don't deprive myself. Cookies are my favorite, so it's really hard, especially at Christmas time. If I do want something, I eat it because otherwise if I eat something else, I'll go get it anyway."


Aside from being more aware of her fat intake, Davis has replaced soft drinks with water and milk.


A strategy she uses for not overindulging on holiday cookies is to make cookies that are family favorites, not just her favorites. So she rules out chocolate chip.


"I would eat the whole batch," she said with a laugh.


Davis also avoids buying treats to have around the house that would be too tempting to resist.


On Halloween, she buys packages of animal crackers for trick-or-treaters and figures if she has some, it's at least a healthy snack alternative.


Whatever she's doing, it's working. When she started going to Curves she weighed in at over 140 pounds and now she is down to 134.


"I just feel that watching what I eat and watching the portions that I eat and exercising, it works," Davis said.


Davis suggested offsetting your indulgences with physical activity and not abandoning your fitness mind-set during the holidays.


"Watch your portions and then get up and do something," she said.


Arnold agreed.


"Eating the correct portion sizes of food is one way to allow oneself to indulge without overeating," he said.


Michael Jackson, 29, Mohnton, works out at Gold's Gym, Wyomissing, three to four days per week. His workout is a combination of cardio and weight lifting. He has been committed to fitness since he was 16.


However, his dedication to fitness hasn't kept his hand out of the cookie jar. Like Davis, Jackson likes to indulge in a cookie here and there, admitting, with a smirk on his face, that he had two earlier in the day for lunch.


So it's no surprise that Jackson opts to go for the splurge on holidays.


"I just feel like it's a day you set aside to just eat whatever you want and just make up for it later," he said. "If you work out and you stay with it, you are going to burn it off in a couple of days."


Jackson said he tries to eat healthy most of the time.


"There are 365 days of the year I can eat right and exercise, and those two days aren't going to kill me," he said of Christmas and Thanksgiving.


In addition, Jackson feels he has youth on his side.


"I figure I'm still young and I can make up for it later, and I wouldn't feel too guilty about it personally," he said.


He said people shouldn't feel bad about indulging over the holidays if they go into the gym and work out hard.


So whether you opt to keep your focus on fitness by meditating through the holidays or feel you deserve to eat everything in site, Arnold offered some encouragement.


"There are about five months between Christmas and beach season, and therefore, there is definitely time to lose those extra pounds gained during the holiday season," he said, stressing it's still no excuse to eat everything in sight, noting portion control and maintaining physical activity are key.


Despite the encouraging remarks to those of you who are licking your chops, Arnold offered this reality check.


"Calories consumed should equal calories expended in order to maintain weight, and if someone is consuming more than he or she is expending, those extra calories will eventually lead to unwanted weight gain," he said.


Contact Courtney H. Diener-Stokes at life@readingeagle.com.


How to beat the holiday bulge

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