How to avoid putting on those holiday pounds

During the holiday season last year I gained about 7 pounds that have been hard to lose. The parties with endless unhealthy food have already started. How can avoid gaining the weight again without avoiding the parties? – Gail G.

Well Gail, this is a tough one and the main thing I can tell you is to harness all of your will power! When you attend these parties there are a few things that you can do nutritionally to help you keep the pounds off. Alcohol is a big one that most people don’t consider. Splurging on too many drinks will cause weight gain from the excess sugar turning into fat. Also, we all know that alcohol can lead to some less than desirable decisions and that could include eating more of the foods you would normally turn away.

Next tip, when you are scanning the table for foods to eat keep in mind that a lot of people focus on stocking up on the meats and carbs. When plating, be sure the largest portion on your plate consists of vegetables or even fruit if they have it! The fiber in the vegetables will fill you up and is ultimately the best thing you can put into your body.

One more idea could be to eat a meal before the party so you are less tempted to over eat when you walk through the host’s door! You can absolutely enjoy holiday parties while managing weight gain, you just need to stay strong and make wiser choices.

If you are eating dessert make sure you take your time and eat it more slowly. Enjoy it for what it is and understand that one serving is more than enough. If you head back for seconds, remind yourself of your goals and realize that the holidays are a major test of your dedication level.

Chose to overcome the obstacle and indulge a little, but do not let yourself over indulge. In the end, you will be proud of yourself and your body will thank you for taking one more step (a big step) towards reaching your goals. Happy healthy holidays!

I hear a lot about the benefits of weight training. Should I also be concerned with flexibility now that I’m over the age of 65? –John H.

Weight training is definitely very beneficial and, let me say, flexibility is also very important and provides many benefits at any age, but especially over the age of 65. Flexibility training allows for your muscles to remain elastic. Elasticity is key in injury prevention whether it has to do with weight lifting or an accident outside of the gym! Can you touch your toes? Surprisingly most of us can’t and we should be able to do this with ease!

Practice bending over and let yourself stretch down for a good 20 seconds. Every time you do this try and stretch to moderate discomfort and watch yourself get farther each time! Flexibility is very important in conditioning the lower body and also the back. Here’s a great stretch that caters to your back: It’s very important to keep your back loose and limber as this will have an effect on your posture and core. Try this, find a wall or ledge and stand a few feet away from it. Next, reach your arms straight out to the wall and walk yourself down until your chest is or is almost parallel to the floor. Let your head sink down and breathe into the stretch.

Here’s another great stretch for your chest and arms: Clasp your hands behind your back and drive your arms down to the floor until you feel the stretch in your arms and chest. Breathe, and hold for about 20 seconds. Flexibility in the chest and arms are important again for maintaining healthy posture and core. I would recommend stretching at least once a day to get the benefits of flexibility training. Once you start a regular stretching regimen you will find that your body will feel more relaxed in general, and you will be able to more easily reach your goals in the gym! Good luck, I hope this will steer you in the right direction when it comes to adding flexibility into your routine!

Michael Garcia, Certified Personal Trainer, employs diverse training styles that reach a wide range of demographics and fitness goals at Anytime Fitness, Winter Park. He can be reached at 321-972-5833 for both personal and group training. For answers to your health and for a free personal training session email [email protected]