It’s almost as if you’re being set up. You can’t even walk to your desk without passing by muffins, donuts or candy canes. You can’t go to a holiday party without someone pushing a cup of eggnog in your face. I mean it’s just one, right? But as you and I both know, it never is just one. And this happens every year. We try to get through the jingle bell rock, the sweets, the parties and the family obligations with of course a drink in hand to make it a bit easier. Thing is by the time the holidays and winter are over, areas of your body could quite possibly jiggle strong enough to signal monarchs in Argentina.
In fact, it is has been well asserted that in between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day that the average American gains roughly 5lbs (and Canadians you aren’t too far from that either). However I see many people go as high as 10lbs and the majority of these folks will struggle taking it off.
So instead of waiting until January, I thought I’d provide you with some tools you can implement RIGHT now to avoid that winter weight gain.
The 15-Minute Rule
And this doesn’t just mean shopping from one store to the next, it means adding in extra movement where there isn’t any. So if you’re sitting at a desk job, take a 15-20 min break to go for brisk walk. If you work from home, power through a 15-minute sweaty routine. And if you’re shopping, park at the end of the lot and get some exercise. There are opportunities for this at every corner and we all can spare 15 minutes, no excuses.
Fill Up & The One Plate Rule
I will admit that if I am hungry I will eat everything in sight, even if it’s filled with gluten, dairy and sugar. Then as I kick myself in the ass, I will drown my guilt in copious amounts of wine to forget about it. So to avoid feeling like a rerun of Bridgette Jones Diary (sans the relationship troubles), I’ll make sure to eat before I go to any holiday party and then I’ll not to graze. This might sound strange but by doing so I have no way to measure how much I’ve eaten. Instead I’ll commit to one plate and one plate only of appetizers. That’s it.
Bring your own
Trust me this is not rude, if anything any host will be more than grateful for the contribution and people will be intrigued by your offering. And if you’re anything like me, you have a sweet tooth that would generally make you look like you attacked the sweet table. But if you want to avoid packing on the pounds or contributing to hormonal havoc, then you need to really consider bringing a treat of your own. Here is my favourite recipe from my Sexy Lady Balls program that focused on PCOS and ovarian cysts.
LEMON CHERRY BOMBS
2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup cherries
1/4 cup honey
Juice from one lemon
3 eggs
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine all ingredients together into balls and bake for 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before eating…if you can.
Sleep Naked
This might sound silly but sleeping naked actually burns calories because your body has to warm up to stay comfortable. And since nights can be chilly this is the perfect opportunity to warm up in the sack. Plus if you live with your partner, by sleeping naked you may get the opportunity to born even more…if you know what I’m saying.
So in the meantime, you have more control during the holidays that you think, so do your best.