'Tis the Season to Maintain Your Shape

There's something about hearty fall foods that speaks to all our senses.   The crisp weather has us yearning for warmer, heavier and dangerously palatable foods.  The bikini body we worked so hard to achieve and maintain over the spring and summer months is now forgotten.  We’ve replaced our sundresses, skirts and shorts with a more covered wardrobe of jackets, vests, coats, leggings, sweaters and boots. 

Now that we have on our “winter coat”, our figures are hidden from the rest of the world to see and we give ourselves permission to indulge in higher caloric foods, until spring arrives.   It can be 6-7 months of empty calorie consumption; only to start the weight-loss cycle all over again when the warmer days arrive.

This fall make a point of eating with caution.  Don’t get carried away with the “jolly” season of  comfort foods like baked brie, potato gratin, pumpkin pie, eggnog, hot apple cider, biscotti, fudge and candy cane bars!  Wow, that’s a heavy list of food that will make you feel heavier after you’ve eaten them, but will also expand your waist line.  Sugar and spice are anything but nice to your figure!

 

Holiday Eating Tips

Next time you find yourself surrounded at a festive feast, focus on your portions.   Typically, appetizers are staged around a home or venue for guests to nosh on while they’re socializing.  Before you start digging into an abundance of treats, go on an appetizer tour and see what’s available.  Instead of recycling your napkin, find a small plate and put a few of the lower-fat items like white cheese, a small handful of nuts, fresh fruit, or chilled shrimp on your plate. Think protein/complex carb combinations. Rather than standing around the table stuffing yourself with unlimited amounts of food, you'll be grazing off your small plate.  The plate gives you the freedom to enjoy small bites without depriving yourself; or expanding your waist!   This is not an all you can eat buffet, therefore going back for seconds is not an option.  Keep the calories and fat down by enjoying your small portion.

At dinner, start with a glass of water to fill you up; as long as you haven’t overdone it on the appetizer tour!  Whether you’re at a serve yourself or sit down event, always keep the meat portion the size of your palm and your side dishes should be no larger than the size of your fist.  Again, your goal is to avoid building a tower on your plate.

For dessert opt for a small slice of pie minus the crust, and make it pumpkin, which is lower in fat and calories.  An even better choice would be fresh strawberries or fruit dipped in chocolate.

If you’d like to have an alcoholic beverage, have a glass of red wine or flavored vodka and club soda. These are lower calorie/sugar drink choices and will save you calories. Try to limit yourself to only two drinks.

Keep yourself lean this season by incorporating both cardio and resistance training into your daily workouts.  It is recommended for those who would like to lose weight, to perform 5-6 cardio sessions each week, for at least 30-45 minutes.   I like to mix my 40 minutes of cardio up with 20 minutes of interval training.  This can be done indoor or outdoor, on a cycle, elliptical machine, treadmill, stair master, etc.  

Your goal this season is to avoid rolling into 2012 with a muffin attached to your waist!!   Keep it clean, keep it portioned and have fun!

Until next time...