Thanksgiving is upon us!
Maybe you’ve already started a healthy eating plan, which may be known by others as a DIET, which I sometimes refer to as a 4 letter word.
After all, this is holiday is only once a year event, but it is completely food focused. If you’ve been working out more and watching what you eat, you might be somewhat reluctant to see all the hours of gym time, the sweaty towels, memories of iPod playlists and smaller healthier portions erased by one afternoon of carbohydrate loading and fights over who gets the last drop of Aunt Matilda’s gravy.
What’s your favorite food?
If like me, you’re trying to be healthier and drop a few excess pounds, you really have to ask yourself a few questions before Thanksgiving.
It’s all about the choices?
Can you eat a dinner roll on other days? Sure you can, so if you’re concerned about your weight, I’d skip the bread, and have stuffing instead. (hey that rhymes)
Cranberry sauce and stuffing may be your favorites, and they aren’t available throughout the year, so maybe you’ll have those instead of the a mountain of mashed potatoes? Just some suggestions, you’ll figure out what will work for you.
Appetizers Anyone?
Again, it depends on what they are. If you’re looking at a vegetable tray, please dive in and fill up. If it’s cheese and crackers, maybe save the calories for a yummy desert.
Dessert?
Do you love pumpkin pie, but hate the calories? Skip the crust. Or if you’re the pastry chef, or in charge of dessert, bake some of the pumpkin filling in ramekins along side the pie and top with whipped cream and violá, pumpkin pie without the guilt.
Guilt Free Zone
Love it? Go ahead and enjoy every bite. The idea is to savor the food and take your time to taste it.
What do you love on Thanksgiving?
This is the beauty of Thanksgiving. Sharing food is a wonderful way to express our love and appreciation for one another, being with friends and family and giving thanks. And staying mindful of our choices ahead of time, will help us all feel more in control, less bloated and overstuffed later and help us have enough energy for a walk or a game of football.
Have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.
Did you read our 1st blog, Real, Sustained Weight Loss After the Holidays?
If you’ve found your motivation and you’re ready for more weight loss tips, here they are:
Are you like millions of Americans who are finding that their clothes are a little tighter, harder to zip up and that you’re avoiding getting on the scale? Truth is, I’m in the same boat and was cringing when a friend posted some photos on social media. OMG, where did that added roll come from?!
Look, I can resist a lot of things, but not the homemade cookies, which is why I’m hitting the gym and getting back into my healthier routines. I’m all about being optimistic and using motivation, so instead of beating myself up, I’m starting by repeating some positive affirmations that I have adapted after repeating many that I read from Louise Hay’s book, You Can Heal Your Life.
At first, repeating affirmations may seem a little odd, but after a while as you practice saying them, your brain catches on and helps reinforce your healthy behaviors. Here’s 2 to get you started.
“I like making healthy, nutritious choices when it comes to my meals.”
“I enjoy working out; It gets my heart pumping and boosts my energy for the whole day.”
Next, Find your own motivation.
Ask yourself what motivates you to be healthier or lose weight. Better yet, write it down. Don’t edit yourself and do be honest, because it works better that way, even if it’s something superficial and vain, like: I want to look better for my class reunion
If you’ve been on social media recently, you may have noticed a new trend: No, not Dad Bods! Though it’s fun to see Brad and Matt in their swim trunks. The trend I’m talking about is Pregnancy Abs.
What? As a women’s health NP, we’re more consumed by measuring a mom’s growing tummy and reassuring her about the baby’s growth and development, not about any thoughts that women should try to have well-defined abdominal muscles. I read about this from Rachel Zarrell’s post with photos of pregnant women with baby bumps and defined abs via BuzzFeed. (more…)
Recently on a trip to Paris, I discovered the elusive secret to weight loss. Is it a pill? An herb? Supplement? Cleanse? You’ll be as shocked as I was. Ready for this? You can actually lose weight and still have an abundance of great tasting, delicious pastries, breads, champagne, duck confit, pate and mouth watering cheese all by simply doing one thing.
I love helping people lose weight and keep it off helps prevent diabetes, heart disease and a whole host of other issues. As it turns out, even a 10% drop in weight can be the difference between needing medication or insulin for diabetes and avoiding medication completely.
I know that many people get overwhelmed by the numbers on the scale and the idea that they have to lose 40-50-100 or more pounds. The truth is, that every pound lost is beneficial and even a small 15 pounds makes a huge difference in health.
