Some mistakes are not worth repeating. A few years ago I gained 7 lbs during the Thanksgiving holiday. How? Very simple:
• I ate a 3,000-calorie meal at least once a day not counting other meals and snacks. I have read recently that the traditional Thanksgiving meal is really 4,500 calories (see a breakdown in calories here), so the damage might have been worse than I thought.
• I didn't exercise. My excuses were: I'm don't have a gym membership out of town; I deserve a break; I don't want to sweat.
• I ate my feelings. Difficult extended family gatherings are the places where I ate my feelings more effectively. I stuffed my faced instead of finding better solutions for my problems.
Some wellness patterns are worth keeping. Recently, I have been able to lose weight during the Thanksgiving (and Christmas) holiday. It's not easy but here's how I managed to do that:
• I planned my meals. I cooked my family's favorite foods with a few modifications. We all love pecan pie, so I cooked a lower calorie version of it just to be sure I enjoyed it with everyone. Here's my video review of a traditional versus a lower calorie pecan pie. Here's my food log of our Thanksgiving dinner.
• I chose to exercise. I decided to exercise no matter how simple the activity. I remember taking a 15-minute walk around my neighborhood with my husband. Including exercise in my normal routine makes a difference physically and emotionally during the holiday. It also kicks stress in the behind.
• I stayed accountable. When our family travels during the holidays, I made sure to attend a Weight Watchers meeting out of town to stay accountable. I was so happy to find out I lost weight! All my efforts counted! I am no longer a member, but my way of staying accountable is to set my goals here and log them on dailymile.com If you have a friend, a "fr-ainer" or a real trainer, you can be accountable to them and get encouragement during this time of the year.
QUESTION • Do you have a tendency to lose or gain weight during the holidays? What is your best wellness strategy for the season?
• How not to gain weight during the Holiday?
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