Red Deer Life - November 9, 2006

The holiday season is looming, Christmas parties are scheduled. If you have been committed to your exercise and nutrition program and making good progress, the prospect of your upcoming social calendar might have you lying awake at night with worry of what the scale might read around New Year's. This is the season that everyone struggles to get through. Some try to stick to their plan to become frustrated with family and friends bugging them about, "always being on some diet." Others simply give in and choose to worry about, "getting back into shape in the new year."

Here are some tips to get you through the holiday season:
1. Pick your parties: Try to choose what you will attend and plan for it. If you know in advance that you are attending a function you can prepare your food accordingly for that day, complete exercise programs early or adjust your schedule so that it falls on an off day. If you know there will be a meal you might try to find out what the menu will be and adjust your nutrition for the remainder of the day or pre-plan what you will eat at the party.
2. Minimize Alcohol Consumption: I wrote a whole column last year on the effects of alcohol and why you should minimize or avoid it. Most notably in men how minimal amounts of alcohol will lower testosterone production for a number of days after consumption. For men and women a like alcohol, whether in a base of pop, juice, or water, is a nervous toxin and greatly reduces the metabolic process involved in burning stored body fat.
3. Sweets in Moderation: Christmas just wouldn't be the same without all the fantastic baking or my mom's Nanaimo bars. However remember that refined sugar is the evil nemesis of anyone trying to maintain good health or a lean body. Refined sugar quickly elevates blood sugar leading to glucose storage at a rapid rate leaving anything left over to be easily converted to triglycerides and stored as body fat. Keep the volumes of sweets down by consuming them at the end of a meal this will control the amount you eat as well as shunt the blood sugar stimulating effects of refined sugar.
4. Increase Water Intake: By increasing your water intake you will also relieve some of the urge to stop for the extra goodies in the coffee room or on the dessert table. In addition more water helps to dilute and filter elements during digestion that will ease stomach discomfort and any strain on the kidneys that work a little overtime during times of great nutritional variation.
5. Maintain Some Exercise: Many people think that once their other habits fall apart they may as well put their exercise program on the shelf too. Little do they know that our metabolic machine, once it's moving, slows down more like a train then a car. If you continue to exercise, even if it's less often for a while, your metabolism will continue to exude many of its fat burning effects during this time of less than favorable nutritional and exercise habits.

Keeping these tips in mind will allow you to coast into 2007 with plenty of energy and feeling great, and most importantly little to no weight gain. Also remember this is a time for family, friends and to be thankful for all that life is so it's ok to indulge a little. I can hardly wait for my mom's Nanaimo bars.