Begin The Holiday Season With Thought


This is a busy time of year. The to-do list grows as many of us prepare for the upcoming holiday season: baking, shopping, wrapping, and attending special events are just a few of the items added to the list; but have you added ‘eat well and exercise’?

November and December may in fact be the most important months to set clear goals for weight management. I often advise my clients to maintain their weight through the month of December, and then focus on more weight loss when January rolls in. Maintaining your regular exercise schedule is vital to balancing out the extra calories that you may inevitably take in. You might even consider adding another day of walking or weightlifting to your routine.

Consider these tips to keep you on track this season:

* Schedule 20 to 40 minutes of exercise 5 to 6 days a week. Exercising more regularly is a great strategy now. It will not only help with weight maintenance but will help reduce stress. Even if you only have 20 minutes, fit in a brisk walk or a short session of abdominal work, push-ups, leg lifts and stretching.

* Try to not skip meals. Have portable, healthy snacks on hand so you can grab something quickly when you have an extra busy day (try Quaker Breakfast Bars, Kashi or Go-Lean bars, fresh fruit, yogurt smoothies or almonds).

* Do sit down and relax for at least one meal per day. Plan ahead to make time for a relaxed lunch or dinner. Put your fork down and sip water between bites. Remember, it takes 20 minutes for our brains to send the “I’m full” signal.

* Add your dietary goal for the week to your to-do list. Writing out goals helps us achieve them and keep track of them. Writing specific goals such as “I will eat three pieces of fruit each day” or “I will add more protein to my morning snack” can help keep you focused.

* Don’t purchase items you do not really need. Retailers deluge us with seasonal items, usually at the front entrance or aisle end, where everyone must pass by. Before you mindlessly throw food items into your cart, think: “Will I use this in the next two weeks?” If you won’t, skip it. You don’t want to end up with large frozen food or snack items in your freezer or pantry in January (and nobody but you to eat them).

* Round out your own entertaining with fresh foods. Be sure to add a veggie tray or fresh fruit to your table. In addition to the traditional crudités, add sugar snap peas or baby vegetables to your platters. Use cucumber slices instead of crackers to spread low fat dips on. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over your fruit platter or scoop of lowfat vanilla yogurt or ice cream.

* If you aren’t already enrolled in one of the Real Living Nutrition programs, this is a great time of year to seek support in meeting your goals. You can employ healthy habits and still enjoy the season (and eat the foods you love). When you enroll, there is no timeline you must adhere to.

To learn how to achieve this healthy balance, sign up for the Mini Diet Makeover to get a head start on good eating habits now, and don’t let the holiday season sabotage you! Instead, get comfortable, feel good, and enjoy.

Rosanne Rust, MS, RD, LDN

About the blogger:

Rust is a licensed, registered dietitian and nutrition coach who has a private practice in Meadville (http://www.rustnutrition.com/). She is a nutrition instructor for Penn State’s World Campus and a licensed provider for Real Living Nutrition Services®. For more information about her online weight loss counseling and nutrition coaching service, visit her Web page at http://www.rosannerust.com/ or contact her at Rosanne@rustnutrition.com.