A guide to dumping your holiday weight gain

If you are anything like me then you embraced the words “eat, drink and be merry” during the holidays.  While I didn’t do nearly as much drinking during the holidays, as in years past, the 7 day cruise to Mexico I took with my parents allowed for plenty of eating. In fact there were days when I couldn’t decide between desserts so I’d just order both of them. Sometimes I’d even double up on appetizers. So if you want to eat to your heart’s content I highly recommend a cruise.

Alright, I’ll get back to the point. There’s a good chance that your holiday eating habits were not exactly healthy. Food that you eat is generally buttery, artery clogging wholesome goodness. Add some booze to that and there’s a reason you only eat like this during the holidays (supposedly).  So let’s look at getting back into the swing of a healthy routine.

1. Water: First things first. We want to start flushing all this crap out of the system. In general most people don’t drink enough water.  I had a friend from Denmark who told me that he had stomach problems for a while and by drinking a liter of water a day for 3 months, they all went away.  You might not have stomach problems, but regular consumption of water is a good thing so I recommend keeping some at your desk, in your car, or wherever you are.  Hydrating will refresh your system quite a bit.
2. Fruits: One thing you want to do is incorporate water rich foods into your diet. I learned this from Tony Robbins. Fruits are a great way to do that. As cheesy as the old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” might be there is plenty of truth to that. Many people often get sick after the holidays because their systems are clogged full of crap.  Eat lots of fruits and you can avoid that. Additionally fruits give you a nice energy boost without a crash.
3. Greens: Greens are another thing you want to incorporate into your diet not just after the new year, but on a regular basis. People who eat lots of greens often seem to have lots of energy. There are so many benefits to eating lots of green vegetables that I’m going to leave it to Google to tell you what they are.
4. Ditch Desserts: I love, love, love anything dessert-like. I have a sweet tooth to say the least and on my cruise when I had the options of 7 desserts, I was in such bliss that I would often order two. I can’t honestly tell you I plan on ditching desserts. But, give yourself a few weeks off from the desserts. You’ll be glad you did and you’ll feel more confident in your ability to be disciplined.
5. Ditch Fast Food: I ate quite a bit of fast food in the last few months because it was cheap. But, I plan on eating much healthier now that I have a job. If you must eat fast food, try to stick to something like subway that gives you an opportunity for plenty of veggies and water rich food.
6. Exercise: This should be the most obvious of all. A friend told me once that the simple weight loss formula was “eat less and exercise more.” While I know that’s not the easiest thing for many people and some people aren’t blessed genetically, it’s still worth incorporating into your life. If you do this, you’ll find your overall energy level is higher and you will be happier. Exercise releases endorphins so that will make you happier and allow you to have the energy to focus on what you want to accomplish in 2010.

1. 

   Jenny says:

   January 4, 2010 at 9:29 pm

   I have made an effort to eat the holiday foods in moderation. There’s so much pressure for seconds and thirds. I eat one helping and I get all the good stuff. It worked for me! Thanksgiving and Christmas are behind me and I’m 5 lbs. lighter. Btw, just subscribed to this!
2. 

   Gilbert Ross says:

   January 6, 2010 at 8:01 pm

   Srini,

   Good points. Highly recommendable to everyone. Although we all have heard about these suggestions to some extent or another, we seriously need to be reminded constantly about their importance to keep a healthy life.

   I am definitely one who needs to be reminded constantly. I must admit I have gained a few kilos lately…so thanks for bringing them up.
3. 

   Srinivas Rao says:

   January 7, 2010 at 5:07 pm

   @Jenny: Thanks for making your way over here . I sometimes tell people the only thing I ‘m able to do in moderation is excess.

   @Gilbert: I think one of the greatest things about everything we are doing with our blogs is that it is all constant reminder for healthier habits and a healthier lifestyle.