Over the month of December I participated in one of our wellness center’s many fabulous programs, Maintain Don’t Gain. The object of this program was to simply maintain your weight over the past six weeks so that you wouldn’t have any catching up to do in the New Year. The program included weekly weigh-ins, emails with healthy holiday tips and recipes and special group exercise classes.
I am happy to report that even with the onslaught of holiday goodies that seem to be popping up in the office, I have managed to not only maintain my weight, but I even shed a few pounds. Woowho!
Keeping health and wellness in mind this holiday season can be tough, but hopefully these tips from the Healthiest State Initiative site can help you maintain and not gain.
Make the healthier choice the easy choice:
• Highlight the holidays with a bowl of seasonal fruits in the break room or on the kitchen table.
• Store sweets in inconvenient places to reduce mindless eating.
• Downsizing portions can be as easy as downsizing your plate. Use the salad plate for lunch or dinner tonight.
Add a healthy twist to holiday parties:
• Pair holiday dips with sliced veggies or whole-wheat crackers.
• Create simple and delicious seasonal fruit trays using pomegranates and pears, figs and clementines.
• Pickled veggies add zip – artichoke hearts, mushrooms, cauliflower and hot peppers are perfect for easy-to-assemble-no cooking-required side dishes.
Keep moving:
• Plan a quick 10-minute workout routine you can do at home that includes one minute of each exercise (jumping jacks, lunges, sit-ups, side kicks, squat kicks, push-ups, etc…).
• Walk as much as possible. Take an extra lap around the mall, use the stairs rather than the escalator, or park furthest from the door.
• Don’t leave all the fun to the kids! Do something active together – like a trip to the skating rink, a backyard football game, or have fun in the snow!
