Coming off the Thanksgiving weekend and then my birthday, I had one of those epiphany moments. You know the ones where the sun shines a little brighter and your head becomes clear (and you might even start skipping)? Well, maybe not the skipping part, but I had a moment. So, I ate my way through the past week. Let me outline my indiscretions (although mine are nothing like Tiger’s of late):
Thanksgiving – Your traditional calorie-laden fare + two pieces of pie.
Friday – Sticky buns for breakfast, pizza for dinner + dessert
Saturday – Mexican food, turkey pot pie + dessert
Sunday – Pasta, garlic bread + dessert
Monday – dessert
Tuesday – dessert
Wednesday (my birthday) ¬– Mexican food, wine + LOTS of dessert
Ok, here we are on Thursday and I had that epiphany thing. It’s the holidays, the food temptations are around every corner – the candy dish at the office, the tempting appetizers at all those holiday parties, the special lunches with friends, the happy hours, the cookies that you have to bake so that your children get a special holiday…it goes on and on! Well, I am not going to pretend that I will skip those delicious cookies with the Hershey kiss pressed into the top. I am just going to have to balance it out. Smart. Thus my epiphany. I’m not going to give in and say “starting January 1 [insert good intention here]…” I’m starting NOW. I’m going to balance treats and holiday fare with good habits and strong workouts.
To my credit of those 7 days of shoveling garbage into my stomach, I worked out a lot. I even worked out on my birthday, at 6 AM nonetheless – a commendable feat.
Rather than waiting until January 1st to get in gear, join me and start now. No excuses. There are so many ways to survive the holidays without gaining weight.
My naked stretchers, you are in luck, I’m going to uncover these tips and share them with you. It’s about balance. Like an advent calendar, I am going to reveal a new tip each day leading up to Christmas. How fun, right!?
Stay tuned and stay warm. It’s actually pretty darn cold in Dallas!
Here are the 3 tips for December 1-3:
Tip #1: Make a pot of soup on Sunday and eat it every day for lunch. It’s so easy to give in and go out with the group to any number of diet torture chambers (i.e., restaurants), but think of your soup as gaining valuable time (and avoiding disastrous calories). You can get more done at the office and leave earlier if you work through lunch! Leave early to get to the mall OR the gym!
I like to make tortilla soup and eat it with baked chips and avocado. Here’s my recipe:
Ingredients
Chicken breasts baked and cubed (one breast per person), just season with salt and pepper before baking
3 cans diced tomatoes (low sodium)
1 can water (use the same can from the tomatoes)
2 small cans low sodium/low fat chicken broth
1-2 jars of prepared salsa (I like On the Border Mild)
5-6 corn tortillas, torn into pieces
1 can of corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup chopped carrots
1 large white onion, chopped
Directions
Season raw, thawed chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Bake chicken at 325 degrees. Let cool and chop into cubes. In a large pot, add a touch of vegetable oil and sauté the chopped onion, carrots and corn until slightly browned. Add all other ingredients (chicken, tomatoes, water, chicken broth, salsa, black beans and tortillas) and simmer for 1-2 hours on low heat. Note that the corn tortilla pieces will thicken up the soup and give it a nice corn flavor. Mmmm...
Garnish with any or all of the following...
Avocado, sliced
Shredded cheddar cheese (light)
Baked tortilla chips
Cilantro
Taste-y!
Tip #2: Try a two-a-day workout. Sounds crazy and like you are on a high school football team or something, but it is totally doable. Wake up a little early in the morning and go for a brisk jog around your block. 15-20 minutes ought to do the trick. Plus the cool air will wake you right up! Bring your iPod tuned up with some Christmas music and you will get in the spirit, too!
Then fit in your regular workout during your lunch break or after work. It is so tempting to skip the gym this time of year to tackle that long to-do list, but that is the worst thing you can do. You are so busy doing things for others, you forget yourself (and your health in the mix). Be a little selfish and keep yourself accountable to – well – yourself.
Tip #3: Try taking the stairs, parking as far away from the entrance as possible in parking lots and walking to talk to people in the office instead of calling or emailing them. Weight loss and maintenance are really based on a simple principle; eat less, move more. Move more. Forget the lazy habits that technology have brought us. Take a little more time to get there and enjoy the journey and the extra calorie-burn.
Stay tuned for another tip for surviving the holidays tomorrow!
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