Holiday Aftermath – How To Get Back In Shape After The Holidays
December 31, 2009
The holidays are over. They are just a faint memory of family and festivities. Well, not quite. You have a blatant, extremely rude reminder hanging around your hips. How horrible! Well, fear not, this article can help you get back in shape after the holidays.
Holiday Aftermath – How To Get Back In Shape After The Holidays
By Patricia ZelkovskyNow that the holidays are over, when you look in the mirror your waistline may seem a bit larger than it was before the holidays started. Whether it was the silky-smooth egg nog, the deliciously-decadent chocolate cake, or mama’s home-made fruit cake, you may have only gained a few extra pounds from your holiday indulgences but the effect it will have on your health may be far-reaching.
Studies indicate that during the holiday season, most people may only gain about a pound during the season between November and January. This study may come as a surprise to a number of people since most people believe that they gain between five and ten pounds over the holidays. In a study, researchers found that volunteers overestimated their holiday weight gain by about 5 pounds. However, in reality, only a small percentage of people actually gained more than 5 pounds over the holidays.
This is good news for most people. However, the bad news is that any extra weight that is gained over the holidays is not lost during the rest of the year. Researchers say that although the weight that most people gain during the holidays is small, it will usually accumulate from year to year and can lead to serious health problems including obesity later in life.
This study underscores the importance of developing a plan to deal with the extra weight that you may gain during the holiday. Deciding today to lose holiday pounds by eating healthy and exercising is the first step to getting in shape after the holidays.
The first thing you may want to do is to take small but consistent steps to gain control over your weight and take charge of your health. For example, if you were not very active during the holidays, then don’t train like an Olympic athlete now. If you try to do too much too fast you may be setting yourself up for failure. The best approach is to begin every step that you take slowly and increase your efforts from there.
One great strategy that will help you lose weight and improve your health is to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Not only are fruits and vegetables low in calories but they also supply your body with much needed vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants.
Another strategy you can employ is to cut about 800 calories a week from your diet by either eating less or exercising more. The best solution, of course, is to eat less and exercise. When combined with exercise, eating smaller, healthier portions of food is a sure-fire method of losing weight and getting in shape.
Just 20 to 30 minutes of exercise performed 3 to 4 days per week is sufficient to achieve noticeable improvements in your health. Moreover, if you don’t have a lot of time, those 30 minutes of exercise do not have to be performed all at once. If you’re short on time, try breaking up your fitness routine into small segments of 10 to 15 minutes each throughout the day. Then, when you have more time, you can schedule in more physical fitness into your routine.
If you gained a few extra pounds over the holiday, the result of not taking action can have serious implications on your health. Deciding today to take a proactive approach to your health and your weight is the most important first step you can make to optimum health and a healthier new you.
