Healthy B.P.M.

We are in full holiday mode right about now. Yes the economy stinks and most of us are cutting back; on shopping. What we’re not cutting back on is food. We’ve given up so much already, vacations, new shoes, premium channels, regular light bulbs; I could go on. However, this is the holiday season and some things must remain the same. For instance, eggnog (with rum), cookies and lots of them. Then there’s chocolate cake, and dense rich fudge. Oh and how could I forget; lunch with the girls after the wee bit of shopping that you’re doing.Our appetites and accordingly our waistlines are often dictated by the calendar. You wouldn’t believe how many people automatically assume that they’re going to gain weight this time of year and just have at it. What a defeatist attitude! Research shows that we gain on average about seven pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years. On the other end of the spectrum is a group of die-hard gym rats who prepare for the feeding frenzy by working out like crazy and cutting out carbs, fats, and eating miniscule amounts of protein. Both extremes make no sense. Here comes that word again,

Balance.

Now if you’re in the first devil may care group, listen up. You don’t have to eat everything in sight to enjoy the holiday. No one is going to mind if you don’t eat everything on the buffet. Slow your roll and think about how healthy you’ll be at the beginning of the year. You won’t have to make all those resolutions that will be broken by Valentines Day. Gym rats, who are you trying to impress? If you’re as savvy about nutrition as you think you are, you know how quickly those extra pounds will come back. One of the cardinal rules of weight loss states that the less you eat the more your metabolism stalls. Last year I took a walk on the wild side and was in the latter group. The day after Thanksgiving was my batten down the hatches day. By the time Christmas Eve rolled around I had lost and additional 15lbs. Woo-hoo, chocolate truffle cake here I come! With four out of five kids at home it was my motherly duty to prepare all their favorites. I also renewed my membership in the clean plate club. Ever faithful to my fitness program, I worked out intensely, but those workouts were no match for the onslaught of all things sweet, fried and chocolate. My favorite jeans felt a bit snugger but I figured it was just my imagination…until.

Until I got up the nerve to get on the scales December 29^th. Clutch the pearls; I had gained 13 lbs in 6 days!! Let’s do the math, 3500 calories = 1 pound. That means that over the course of 6 day’s I took in 45,500 extra calories!! Does the word glutton come to mind? I packed away lots of food but not that much. What happened was that my metabolism had the last word. I thought that I was smarter, but as usual it showed me. Sanity and moderation re-entered my life and I went back to doing things the right way.

It feels so good to be in full holiday mode and still enjoy the food and festivities. As passionate as I am abut fitness, I don’t choose to work out hours at a time, everyday. This year all the kids and most of my grandkids will be home, and I am going to pull out all the stops. However, because I want to enjoy many more healthy holidays with them; I know my limits.