Content provided by Carol Wilson ~
The holiday season is a wonderful time to get together with loved ones and enjoy some of your favorite meals. It can also be a time, however, when many overindulge and set weight-loss and health goals aside. This is a holiday recipe for weight gain.
A modest weight gain around the holidays adds up over the years especially for someone who has a large amount of weight to lose. This can dramatically slow long-term overall progress since a modest one- to two-pound weight gain can easily go unnoticed.
The solution to break this unconscious cycle is a simple one, but difficult for many of us to implement: Mindless eating, “out.” Mindful eating, “in.”
Make our best choices. Enjoy when we do “indulge.”
Live. Love. Be happy. Be joyful. Be mindful of what you do. Be mindful of what you eat.
The Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) is high in fat, high in sugar, high in salt content. The consumption of the wrong kind of calories results in holiday fatigue
Indulge with purpose. Enjoy with purpose. Save ourselves for that occasional special treat.
I recommend the following steps for a better, more mindful, more healthy holiday season.
Step 1: Have a Plan
Completely depriving yourself of your favorite meals is not the answer. Most of us eventually give in to temptation if we constantly feel deprived. Instead, develop a plan before the holiday events to help you compensate for the not-so-healthy holiday meals.
Having a few occasions planned out can help remind you that you have a meal to look forward to, giving you the willpower to stay away from holiday goodies. Drinking an IsaLean® Shake for breakfast can also help you minimize calories when you know you’re planning on indulging later in the evening.
You can still celebrate the holidays without weight gain! Instead of waiting for the new year to lose the extra weight you have accumulated during the holiday season, plan to avoid gaining it in the first place.
Step 2: Schedule Your Indulgences
Goal setting and scheduling indulgences can offer flexibility while also keeping you on track. Indulging in a few treats here and there does not mean you’ve ruined your progress. The people who have the most success in transitioning to a healthy lifestyle are typically the ones who find a balance between enjoying healthy foods along with a few sweet treats from time to time. You can still savor indulgent choices within the context of a healthy lifestyle.
Step 3: Schedule Your Cleanse Days
Work in an Isagenix Cleanse Day or two around days you know you might indulge. Studies have found that calorie restriction or intermittent fasting for one or two days a week can be just as effective as daily calorie restriction. It can be an effective way to keep the weight off during the holidays. Isagenix Cleanse Days also offer nutritional and detoxification support compared to normal fasting. Scheduling a Cleanse Day after a holiday feast (such as the day after Thanksgiving) may be exactly what your body needs to get right back on track in the days that follow.
Committing to a Cleanse Day schedule throughout the holiday season can help you manage the extra calories that this time of year often brings.
Step 4: Indulge a Little
Indulging in a few treats here and there does not mean you have ruined your progress. The people who typically have the most success in transitioning to a healthy lifestyle are the ones who find a balance between enjoying healthy foods along with a few sweet treats every now and then. Just be sure to watch your portions.
Staying on track during the holidays can be hard for even the healthiest individual, but having a plan that allows for a bit of deviation without going overboard, can prevent the risk of overindulging and the anxiety of falling off track.
Step 5: Don’t go to a party hungry
Remove the probability of overindulging by grabbing a light meal or snack before you go to a party. Drinking an IsaLean® Shake on the way to a cocktail party, or grabbing a nutrient-dense snack, before a dinner party can help you keep your cravings at bay by managing hunger and craving in advance so that an empty stomach will not overwhelm your better judgment.
Also, a good thing to remember is to drink lots of water. We strive to drink about 128 oz. a day. You should start each day drinking 16 oz of water as soon as you wake and another 16 oz after a workout class. We are most toxic when we wake first thing in the morning and after a workout.
Get 7 hours of sleep a night.
Get fresh air and exercise every day.
Don’t spend the new year “recovering” from holiday weight gain. Take a proactive approach this holiday season in order to avoid annual weight gain.
Start every day with a shake. Cleanse regularly. When we cleanse it allows us to plan our treats.
Make a concerted effort to consume veggies and fruits. Whole grains. Let’s give our stomachs a rest. Enjoy to the fullest.
Again-Live. Love. Be happy. Be joyful. Be mindful of what you do. Be mindful of what you eat.
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