Lose Those Holiday Pounds

Well the holidays are almost over. 2011 is just around the corner. Most everyone ate things they regret. Some blew it big time and others just a little. So now several pounds later, here are a few steps to put your self back on track heading toward the New Year.

Step #1: Don't beat yourself up. Acknowledge that you ate a lot of high calorie junk food and sugar, then set a new plan looking toward the present and future. You cannot do anything about what you ate yesterday. Make a list of all the reasons you want to eat better with health as a goal. You need to realize that wanting to lose weight is different from having to lose weight. We all have choices in life. When you make it a mental choice that you do willingly with a positive mental attitude, you will be more successful. This includes giving up sweets. Don't say I can't have chocolate or any other food. As soon as you say I can't, you crave more of that food. Tell yourself and others, you are making a choice to eat less chocolate and more healthy kinds of foods.

Step #2: Once you have eaten sugar laden goodies for a few days, you may still crave them. Give all the candy, cookies, and goodies away to friends who do not need to lose weight. If you don't want to give them away, freeze them. Get them out of easy reach where they are so tempting. Put them in the back of your cabinet where you don't see them easily. Bury them behind healthier foods.

Step #3: Instead of trying to go cold turkey, reduce your sugar intake each day by half. Keep reducing the portion size as well as the times you eat junk food. Once you're within normal eating patterns, pick one goody to have at the end of the day as a reward. . You will eat less of a quality chocolate product than a junk chocolate food. Quality chocolate is more satisfying. Most people do better with a treat. If you binge, have your spouse give you the treat instead of getting it yourself. If you both binge, then try to have a healthier treat around such as small bran muffins. If you froze them, defrost only one or two cookies at a time. My husband will binge if he dishes out the sweets, so I ration out whatever the desert is. Then I remind him if he wants more to wait, before eating that second helping. With my father-in-law, I only give him a rationed amount period. He does not live with us and he will eat more than he should of anything I give him.

Using Love To Help People: We need to lovingly help our friends or family members to eat healthy foods. It may not always work, but we need to keep trying. There is a loving way to use words rather than as critical arrows that pierce self esteem that is already low. Remember It's your look, body language and voice tone often that inflicts pain not the actual words spoken. Rejection is not the way to get them to lose weight. That will only cause then to eat more. Whether its health or weight loss, you must use steps that work for you, with your individual needs and weaknesses. Do not give us because one method fails.

Step #4: Step up the exercise level you were at before the holiday goodies or return to your exercise regimen. It's a good time to get the whole family involved since most likely the whole family ate too much good stuff. Walk your dog more often. This week we are increasing the times and time spent walking our dogs. I write an article then take a break by walking. That also helps with the circulation in my legs and helps my writing.

Step #5: Turn down lunch invitations for several weeks. Visit after lunch or dinner is over having some special tea. If you go out to lunch eat salads with low cal dressing or eat less than usual of any meal. Make sure some is left on your plate. Drink a glass of water before you leave home and another one while waiting for your meal to arrive. That will help reduce your food intake. Opt out of Star Bucks for a few weeks. Just deleting those special high calorie coffees will cut down your calorie consumption by 500 to 1000 per day.

Step #6: Wait for several days, then turn off the TV and video games. Spend more time on activities with your family that do not involve food. Examples would be outdoor games, hikes, walking, bike riding, walking on the beach, or climbing. Use calories whenever you can but try to make it fun.

Step #7: If you got exercise equipment for Christmas, begin to use it immediately. Don't let it sit in the box. Make losing weight competitive with the whole family involved. Set creative rewards that don't involve food, perhaps a movie or special outing. Clothes for teens are always a good reward. Make your goals realistic. If you hate to exercise, start with small achievable goals.

Step #8: Realize it will take time to get back on track so treat yourself with patience and love. Work on expressing love toward your body no matter what shape it is in rather than criticism.

References:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/top-holiday-diet-tips

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/top-10-holiday-diet-tips-of-all-time