It’s now post Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Solstice, and New Years (and don’t forget the blue moon too). How much exercise did you get? How much did you eat? Operatively, how much did you gain?
Don’t answer that!! It’s a rhetorical question and it’s the #1 item on New Years Resolutions that get made and the first to drop off.
Twittermoms.com is sponsoring a competition about top 10 ways to get fit after the holidays. However ” new year, new you” is already on my editorial calendar and one thing is for sure. I gained a few pounds (less than 5!) but I still need to get them off.
1) First things first: Get rid of all the junk food: ditch the holiday leftovers. Yes, that’s right, dump & toss all fruitcakes, cookies, pies and anything left from New Years parties– except the veggies (providing they aren’t in cheese or ranch sauce). You don’t need that food. Less is less as in less calories. You can eat more raw veggies or air-popped popcorn if you don’t have holiday stuff still sitting around. It’s not wasteful to dump it when you are concerned about your waistline. (I dumped 3/4 of a pie and a ton of left-overs that I no longer wanted to touch).
2) Start a food journal. Yeah, yeah, I know it’s boring– but you really need to know what you are putting in your mouth. I counted 25 M&Ms that went into my mouth. I didn’t need to eat the entire bag. A few would have done it– but it was there. Journaling makes you more aware and if you have to weigh and measure what you eat, suddenly you stop wanting to eat it. This is a Weight Watchers trick and it really works. You don’t need fancy scales, you just need a postal scale, measuring cup and spoons.
3) Get into those athletic shoes. You will never workout and burn enough calories if you don’t book out some time for exercise. Even if you are at work, you can take your 10 minute break twice a day, by grabbing a bottle of water, and walking around the building or going up and down stairs.
4) Make sure you stay hydrated. Dehydration often is mistaken for hunger– so is fatigue and boredom. Stop eating, start drinking water and see how much you perk up. Also it helps if you get moving to get your heart rate going and you won’t be so tired.
5) Do you need motivation to start working out? I used to and sometimes I still do. I have a Nintendo Wii Fit which really helped– till I got so bored with the games that I couldn’t stand it. WiiFItPlus came out and –voila!– instant fun again (and I do mean fun! Snowball toss is a great game!).
If gyms aren’t your thing but family time is, get someone in your family to play these games with you.
6) Cross train— if you have different workout dvds or Wii workouts that will make it easier for you to be engaged and immersed in working out. Try different workouts! Collagevideo.com has lots of personal trainer workouts that seem like classes for all different levels including kettlebells, yoga, pilates, aerobics, and lots of other things.
Personally I mix things up every day. I do something on the Wii for a shorter period of time if I am doing the EA Sports More Workouts (FUN!!!) plus I do pilates. I also have weights I do with a machine too. I also mix in Core Fusion Workouts as well. So there’s a lot of variety and I mix up 10-20 min segments so I don’t get bored.
6) Cross train— if you have different workout dvds or Wii workouts that will make it easier for you to be engaged and immersed in working out. Try different workouts! Collagevideo.com has lots of personal trainer workouts that seem like classes for all different levels including kettlebells, yoga, pilates, aerobics, and lots of other things.
Personally I mix things up every day. I do something on the Wii for a shorter period of time if I am doing the EA Sports Active More Workouts (FUN!!!) plus I do pilates. I also have weights I do with a machine too. I also mix in Core Fusion Workouts as well. So there’s a lot of variety and I mix up 10-20 min segments so I don’t get bored.
Tracey Mallett’s 6 Minute Quick Blast Videos are definitely worth a shot. You can find 6 minutes 2-3 times a day to workout. It’s so simple.
7) Find a workout buddy. Get up 20 mins earlier and head out while dinner’s simmering and get a good walk in. It’s helps you start off with some great cardio and it’s a great destressing activity after work.
8) Watch what you do when you are eating. Make sure you sit at the table and eat s l o w l y. It’s important to enjoy your food. Try NOT to eat while watching tv. Mindless calories are consumed that you can’t account for.
9) If you love movies, try watching DVDs at home with air-popped popcorn and I Can’t Beileve It’s Not Butter Spray. it’s healthy fiber snack.
10 If you do go to the movies, don’t eat from the concession stand. Stash baby carrots in small bags into your handbag. Or maybe your theater will let you take other food in. One of the major chains near me allows people to even take in pizza, Starbucks and Jamba Juice. I love taking the oatmeal in and having that because it’s so filling.
11) bonus point here: Check out the site videofitness.com . The site features reviews on at-home workouts that are dvd or video cassettes. They have an exchange program, a buddy system and lots of support. It’s a great location to ask questions.
Another site that might be helpful and provide motivation, tips and encouragement that I get daily emails from and also tips (like how to have specific moves to shape the butt) is www.lebootcamp.com from Valerie Orsoni. Killer spot. Great recipes, food tips and more from someone who believes that you should not deprive yourself
Let me know if you try any of these tips and please tell me if they worked for you. If you lost weight, definitely post a commment or email me!!
Good luck!
Stevie Wilson, LA-Story.com
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