10 Tips to Losing Weight Over the Holidays

By Wayne Perkins

1. You are on your own. Do not wait for someone else to join you in a weight reduction group. Weight control is an individual sport. Begin today.
2. Physical Stress builds over the holidays. Get more exercise. When you go shopping, park your car far away from the stores. Walk 25% faster than you normally do. You need to increase your physical activity in order to reduce stress

3. Use your Television for stress reduction. Every time commercials come on your television, use the mute button on your remote and that practice deep breathing exercises. Use the 17 or 20 minutes each hour of television to focus on reducing stress and focusing on your goal weight.

4. Start a new holiday tradition of going hiking, ice skating, swimming at a pool, joining a gym, or taking an exercise class at an adult education facility.

5. Avoid any “pot luck” dinners. People love to create fatty and sugary concoctions over the holidays. There are reasons government health inspectors cite restaurants for unhealthy food preparation conditions. You have no assurance of the sanitary conditions of your pot luck contributors. If you did not make the food, consider it unsafe.

6. Avoid all you can eat or buffet serving restaurants. You will always take more than what you can eat and then feel pressured into eating everything on your plate.

7. Avoid consuming alcohol as much as possible. People get physically depressed over the holidays. Consuming alcohol will enhance rather than reduce the depression. You will also gain more weight as alcoholic beverages also contain sugar and fat.

8. Drink more water than you think you need. In the winter time in the Northern Hemisphere, where I live, people do not drink much water because of the cold winter climate. Your body needs water to survive. Also, by drinking water you will reduce the cravings for food. If you are not craving food then you may not feel you need to eat food.

9. Do not expect your friends and relatives to support you in your quest for a healthy life. Look around you. Are the people you hang around with healthy and in shape? If not, do not expect them to support you in your quest for good health. Go out and get healthy and then you can be a positive role model and mentor to them. Get healthy and save a live or two.

10. Take Action Now! Do not wait to lose your weight, tomorrow, next week or next month. Procrastination involves stress. You can reduce stress and reduce your weight by taking action now!