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Pounds to play with over holidays
Here we go, again! Last Saturday — Halloween with its copious chocolate leftovers — was the official start of the holiday feeding frenzy.
Coming attractions include Thanksgiving with all the trimmings, the sumptuous Christmas and New Year’s party circuit and the Super Bowl chips and dip bonanza — all topped off by Valentine’s Day chocolate delights. In just 15 weeks of unbridled feasting, we manage to come full circle — chocolate to chocolate.
For years, the media have bandied about the myth that the average American gains 5 to 10 pounds over the holidaze. However, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the average yearly net gain for most Americans is just over a pound.
Not too bad if it weren’t for the problem that the majority of people never lose that pound, which, over a decade, adds up to an additional 10 to 12 pounds. This “pound-a-year” weight gain is so prevalent in America that the fitness industry has a name for it — “creeping obesity.”
So, here’s a novel idea. Why not lose some weight before the holidays so you have a “couple-of-pounds to play with.”
Here’s my top 10 list of ways to lose weight before the holidays.
1. Cut back on your soda intake. If you’re a soda junkie, commit to an every-other-day schedule and you’ll save yourself about 120 to 150 calories per day.
2. Avoid fad diets. Getting into a deprivation cycle before the holidays sets you up for a season of binging once the festivities begin.
3. Have a wholesome breakfast. A nutritious breakfast will help jumpstart your metabolism for the day.
4. Eat your largest meal of the day before 3 p.m. so you have time to burn off the calories before you go to bed.
5. Boost your lean protein intake. Increasing your intake of protein will help reduce your overall calorie consumption for the day and leave you feeling more satiated. Simply put: When it comes to weight loss, high protein diets work.
6. Don’t fall prey to the “fat-free” myth. Most fat-free foods compensate for their poor taste by substituting high sugar content. If you have a food craving, eat a small portion of the real deal, instead of the fat-free substitute.
7. Set limits on your alcohol consumption. A can of regular beer has 153 calories, a light beer has 110, wine offers up 64 calories per 3.5 ounces, one ounce of 80-proof liquor contains 85 calories and eggnog weighs in with a whopping 343 calories per cup. Do the math.
8. Start an aerobic exercise program or increase the duration or intensity of your current aerobic workout. A 150-pound person walking at 3.5 mph on treadmill burns 360 calories an hour — get moving.
9. Add some weight to your workouts. Increasing the resistance in your strength workouts will help boost your metabolism and burn more calories.
10. Buy yourself a new holiday outfit that you need to lose a couple of pounds to wear. There’s nothing more motivating or rewarding than going down a dress size or moving in a belt notch.
Here’s my challenge to you. Go get on your scale right now and commit to losing 2 to 3 pounds between now and Thanksgiving Day.
I want you to do two things for me — weigh yourself everyday and try your new Christmas outfit on once a week.
Go into the holiday feeding frenzy with a few pounds to play with, so you can avoid being a victim of “creeping obesity.”
Cord Prettyman is a certified master personal trainer and the owner of Absolute Workout Fitness and Post-Rehab Studio in Woodland Park. He can be reached at 719-687-7437 or cordprettyman@msn.com.
Coming attractions include Thanksgiving with all the trimmings, the sumptuous Christmas and New Year’s party circuit and the Super Bowl chips and dip bonanza — all topped off by Valentine’s Day chocolate delights. In just 15 weeks of unbridled feasting, we manage to come full circle — chocolate to chocolate.
For years, the media have bandied about the myth that the average American gains 5 to 10 pounds over the holidaze. However, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the average yearly net gain for most Americans is just over a pound.
Not too bad if it weren’t for the problem that the majority of people never lose that pound, which, over a decade, adds up to an additional 10 to 12 pounds. This “pound-a-year” weight gain is so prevalent in America that the fitness industry has a name for it — “creeping obesity.”
So, here’s a novel idea. Why not lose some weight before the holidays so you have a “couple-of-pounds to play with.”
Here’s my top 10 list of ways to lose weight before the holidays.
1. Cut back on your soda intake. If you’re a soda junkie, commit to an every-other-day schedule and you’ll save yourself about 120 to 150 calories per day.
2. Avoid fad diets. Getting into a deprivation cycle before the holidays sets you up for a season of binging once the festivities begin.
3. Have a wholesome breakfast. A nutritious breakfast will help jumpstart your metabolism for the day.
4. Eat your largest meal of the day before 3 p.m. so you have time to burn off the calories before you go to bed.
5. Boost your lean protein intake. Increasing your intake of protein will help reduce your overall calorie consumption for the day and leave you feeling more satiated. Simply put: When it comes to weight loss, high protein diets work.
6. Don’t fall prey to the “fat-free” myth. Most fat-free foods compensate for their poor taste by substituting high sugar content. If you have a food craving, eat a small portion of the real deal, instead of the fat-free substitute.
7. Set limits on your alcohol consumption. A can of regular beer has 153 calories, a light beer has 110, wine offers up 64 calories per 3.5 ounces, one ounce of 80-proof liquor contains 85 calories and eggnog weighs in with a whopping 343 calories per cup. Do the math.
8. Start an aerobic exercise program or increase the duration or intensity of your current aerobic workout. A 150-pound person walking at 3.5 mph on treadmill burns 360 calories an hour — get moving.
9. Add some weight to your workouts. Increasing the resistance in your strength workouts will help boost your metabolism and burn more calories.
10. Buy yourself a new holiday outfit that you need to lose a couple of pounds to wear. There’s nothing more motivating or rewarding than going down a dress size or moving in a belt notch.
Here’s my challenge to you. Go get on your scale right now and commit to losing 2 to 3 pounds between now and Thanksgiving Day.
I want you to do two things for me — weigh yourself everyday and try your new Christmas outfit on once a week.
Go into the holiday feeding frenzy with a few pounds to play with, so you can avoid being a victim of “creeping obesity.”
Cord Prettyman is a certified master personal trainer and the owner of Absolute Workout Fitness and Post-Rehab Studio in Woodland Park. He can be reached at 719-687-7437 or cordprettyman@msn.com.
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