Happy Thanksgiving!
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you for sharing your fitness and health journey with me over the course of 2016. It's hard to believe that we are winding down another year!
Hopefully this year has offered you the opportunity to fine tune your lifestyles and daily habits, allowing for more automatic behaviors that don't require much thought!
Remember, it's the consistency of your actions each day that will override the "not so" healthy habits, so keep trying you will get there.
With Thanksgiving and a slew of other parties jammed into your schedule, you might be nervous about gaining weight over the next 5 weeks. Don't fret, here are my top tops for maintaining your weight loss and even losing some during the holidays.
- You Body Is Forgiving. Let's start with the good news! If you deviate from your normal routine slightly, it's not going to make a huge impact on your weight provided that you don't spiral out of control and deviate daily. At the Burn Method, we focus on the 90/10 rule for maintenance- eat clean 90% of the time and save 10% for mindful indulgences. If you follow this framework, you will maintain your weight-loss this holiday season.
- Holiday Hottie Fat-Loss. If you want to lose body-fat this holiday season, stick to the 80/20 framework.
- Don't DIET, Change Your Lifestyle. When you are living a healthy lifestyle, everyday looks pretty much the same with the exception of a party here and there. Everyday you rise, drink your warm water with lemon, move your body, eat a nourishing breakfast, lunch and dinner and get plenty of rest. These are your constants. Rinse & repeat
- Never Save Calories! I see this time and again. People like to starve themselves on the day of a party or huge feast, waiting to cash in the bank account come party time. Huge mistake. When you fast you shuttle your body into a state of stress which will cause you to hold onto those calories and stores them as FAT for energy. Then you have a cocktail on an empty stomach and watch the will power crumble and then everything falls to pieces;-) Treat your holiday like any other day of the year with some indulgences peppered in. Start your day with 16 ounces of warm lemon water, followed by a protein and veggie packed breakfast (omelette stuffed with vegges and avocado) to stabilize blood sugar, mood and hunger. Same with lunch. Next, make movement/exercise a priority with a hike, walk or strength circuit Right before the party or event, use my secret tip! Here's my SECRET STRATEGY to smash all of you party cravings into pieces......You have two options here: 1. A small green smoothie (alkalize and rejuvenate) Blend 1 small granny smith apple, 1 cup celery, fresh ginger, lemon and 2 cups of greens with water. YUM! 2. 4 ounces of PLAIN, FULL-FAT organic Kefir with 1/4 Cup of frozen berries blended in. This will smash all your pre -party cravings in an instant. Run and do this and thank me later;-)
- Indulge a little, but ENJOY it immensely. We are human and we deserve to splurge now and again-it's normal. We just don't want to set our bodies and our immune system into a tailspin with food that isn't so healthy. Plus, the more junk we eat, the more we crave it. That said, have that chocolate torte, but don't try every singe dessert that's displayed. Enjoy every bite, chew 20-30 times and (activates digestive enzymes) and sip and savor your hearty red along with your torte.Think about how the flavors jive with the wine and truly immerse yourself in the experience of the senses.
- Get back to business the next day. So the party is gone and another day has passed. Now what? You don't beat yourself up because your healthy lifestyle is in place and your next choice will be one that serves you, and doesn't destroy you!
Keep these tips in mind come tomorrow and next month and you will slide through the holidays with ease. Need more help understanding how to implement the 90/10 or 80/20 rule? Email me to set up a strategy session to map out your lifestyle action plan.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Christine xo