How to Handle Hectic Holidays

By Merilee A. Kern
eDiets' Modern Mom

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The holidays sure have a way of getting us off track, don’t they? Maintaining a healthy routine between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is difficult for even a professional planner with the diet resolve of steel. You are bound to suffer from a momentary indiscretion or two, so don’t get down on yourself. It’s important that we modern moms resign ourselves to doing the best we can -- and make it OK emotionally. That means you have to give yourself permission to do what you know is right without feeling guilty about it. For instance, give yourself permission to spend quality time with your child(ren) after a long work day.

It’s also important to figure out what CAN be done to preserve your health during decidedly hectic times such as these. With a little help from eDiets’ nutrition experts, I have assembled a list of things that even the busiest modern mom should be able to do during the holidays:

DIET:

• Eat clean. Yes, I KNOW those dog-gone holiday baskets are everywhere (especially in the workplace). However, with less time to work out, your health-seeking, weight-loss efforts will depend on the ability to keep your caloric intake to reasonable levels. Chewing mint-flavored gum (which will make chocolate and other things not taste as good) or sucking on hard sugar-free candy can help you resist those temptations. Or enjoy a mug of sugar/fat-free hot chocolate or a low-fat oatmeal and fruit cereal bar at your desk.

Don’t just deprive yourself -- make some kind of reasonable trade! Again, you just need to plan ahead and have your emergency foods readily available. If you make only one list per week, make it a healthy grocery list.

• Eat small, healthy meals every few hours rather than just a few large ones. Doing so will keep your metabolism humming and make you feel sated throughout the day so you're not ravenous at mealtimes. Please be sure NOT to skip meals because you're so busy. While you may think you're saving on the calories and don't mind, you're actually slowing down your metabolism, which has to stretch the energy derived from your last meal over a longer period of time. If your body comes to expect new fuel sources more often, it'll burn off what it gets quicker.

• Drink water -- and lots of it (no matter how many trips to the ladies room it will require)! As you may know, your body is made up primarily of water. While water does not contain calories to provide energy, it contributes to weight loss and assists your digestive system. Drinking ample amounts of water will also keep the toxins flowing right out of your body.

• Enjoy heart-healthy winter foods: Soups are convenient, healthy and delicious. Make a fresh vegetable soup with all your favorite root vegetables. Sauté onions and garlic in a nonstick pot, then add water or low-sodium canned vegetable broth, chunked potato, celery root and carrots. Season with dried herbs and pepper, and enjoy as a snack or meal with some whole-grain bread. Stews can be made with healthy root vegetables and lean meat.

The secret to a healthy stew is not adding fat to the food. Braise the meat without added fat in a nonstick skillet, drain off the fat, and slow cook with carrots, onions and garlic. And remember citrus fruits are at their peak in the winter! Florida oranges and grapefruit are best enjoyed peeled, since the fiber in the whole fruit is the most beneficial. It takes at least five oranges to make an 8-ounce glass of orange juice, and you wouldn't peel and eat 5 oranges in one sitting (you'd be full after one or two). So enjoy your citrus fruit whole.

• Just before going to any holiday party, eat an apple with a full glass of water so that the fiber will keep your appetite at bay. Go ahead and sample the party fare if you can’t seem to resist. It's OK to allow yourself a reasonably sized treat once in a while, particularly in a celebratory fashion. As long as you can enjoy the modest-sized treat while maintaining complete control, you can immediately get your mindset back into diet mode. Otherwise, keep a glass in your hand. If you're holding a glass, it's more difficult to hold a plate and eat! Take a plate of food to begin with, enjoy it, and then keep a glass in your hand for the rest of the event. And finally, don't stand around the food table -- take the foods you want and leave the area immediately.

FITNESS:

With your harried schedule, do what you can with the advice below Monday through Friday, and resolve to work out for at least one hour on both Saturday and Sunday. No excuses here. If you’re skipping your workouts during the week, you need to get them in on the weekend. Optimally, you would also find a happy medium during the week, such as getting up early Tuesdays and Thursdays for a morning walk (at least).

• Try isometric exercises. These are great if you're pressed for time or stuck in line at the supermarket. Just by flexing a few times each day, you can maintain a significant amount of muscle tightness. Simply flex those muscles whenever you are sitting in your car, standing at the bus stop or walking to the boss's office. For example, while stuck in traffic, tighten your abdominals and hold for 60 seconds, but remember to keep breathing through your nostrils.

• Take advantage of any opportunity to exercise and engage in healthy behaviors during your workday. Here are some ideas:

Stretch! Every hour do some armchair exercise. While sitting, bend over in your chair and let your arms hang down. Now, sit up and take five deep, slow breaths -- in through your nose, and out through your mouth.

Crunch! Every hour, do 12 rear-end crunches. While sitting, tighten your buttocks muscles and hold for 10 seconds. Start with three repetitions, and work up to five or more.

Focus on your posture. While seated at your desk, consciously focus on sitting tall with your neck relaxed, shoulders back, spine lengthened, feet on the floor and abdominals tight. Maintaining good posture involves most of the muscles in your body, and keeping your body in good alignment will help to retrain your muscle groups all day long. Besides, practicing good posture can make you look 10 pounds lighter.

Take 10-minute breaks every hour. Studies have shown that employees are much more satisfied and productive if they take 10-minute breaks every hour. Use that time to get up, stretch, go for a brisk walk, or do some deep breathing. Oxygenating your muscles and getting the blood pumping will keep you more alert, help you manage stress and even give your metabolism a boost. Three 10-minute sessions are as good as a continuous 30-minute one.

The bottom line is that there will be obstacles to achieving and maintaining your desired body weight. You may encounter a plateau or unexpected life event that may thow you off track. Remember that this is all part of the process. While you may wander temporarily, you CAN get back on track the very next day!

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