Sunday 1 May 2016

How Not To Gain Holiday Weight So You Have No Need To Lose Weight

The F F F Plan, Extra!

Holiday season is just round the corner. There will be parties, celebrations, food and champagne. Ahhhh....that irresistible succulent Christmas turkey and sumptious pudding. That mouth watering new year buffet and the countdown champagne are so tempting. Your spirit is willing but your flesh is week. You binge. So what is price you pay for your hoilday binge? Well, stepped onto the bathroom scale and horror of horrors, you have gained a few pounds!! Aaaaaaaaarrrrgghhh!! You pulled your hair and gnash your teeth wondering how you can lose the holiday weight you have gained. You even contemplate to engage a personal trainer to put you on a weight loss program. Whoa, fret no longer. With a little thought and planning, you can avoid holiday weight gain.
Here are some tips on how not to put on holiday weight so that you don't have to lose weight post holiday season. 1) Just Remember that the holiday season is just a few days. 
So that the days you squeal , "I will gain weight around the holidays," or "I know I will gain 5 pounds during holiday season" or "I’ll start a weight loss program after holiday season is over." are over. Why? Well, since you know that there is only a couple of days you will eat more, then you just eat more on those days and no more. Don't let it the binge into a week or more by taking home all the leftovers or storing more sweets snf pastries than you need for that particular holiday. It is usually what people find in the fridge and on the kitchen shelf after the holiday that they continue to binge. Empty fridge and the shelves. This will help you not to put on too much weight so you need not lose weight post holiday season. 2) Turn Off Your TV Set 
Hey! Instead of watching all those holiday special programs on your goggle box, get moving! Instead of watching a soccer game on TV, get a ball and go to the nearest park for a kick around. Instead of lying on your couch snacking to a packet of chips, go lie by the poolside, then do a few laps. Better still, get your family and friends to join you. Go for a jog instead. If it is winter where you live, be innovative, think of some indoor activities or exercises you can do.While others gain weight, you may even lose weight. Afterall its a holiday. Have fun! 3) Avoid Acohol To Avoid Weight Gain 
One gram of alcohol packs a whalloping 7 calories. In contrast, carbs and protein have only 4 calories per gram. Calories from alcohol are just, well, calories with zero nutritional value. They will rapidly convert into fat fast when you do not burn them off quickly. Avoid high-calorie mixed drinks like cocktails that are full of sugar or beer which are high in carbohydrates which translate into even more calories. You will definitely need to be on a weight loss program if you indulge in too much alcohol.
4) Drink Plenty Of Water Juices, soft drinks and coffee don't count! Just good ole plain water. Water flushes out toxins in the body, helps the body recover from dehydration caused by alcohol consumption. You will also feel full so that you will not over eat resulting in gaining weight. 5) Skip Dessert To Lose Weight Do you need those sweet and calorie laden thingies? If you must have them, choose those that are not that sweet or even better, just have some fibrous fruits and nuts. Do this to keep your weight in check. If you can keep to these tips this coming holiday season, then you will not gain weigh and thus may not need to lose weight post holiday or embark on a weight loss program. Simple and cool isn't it?


Hopping Good Easter Cooking Ideas

The F F F Plan, Extra!

Easter is another one of those days that brings friends and family together. There are many great dishes and plans that can be made for Easter dinner depending on where in the world you may be celebrating. Just remember to try to avoid making plans for Easter dinner that are contingent upon the weather to work because it never seems to do exactly the opposite of what you plan for no matter where in the country you may be.With so many dyed eggs around it would be a shame not to incorporate them into the meals that are being prepared for your Easter menu. There are many ways to do that and a favorite in my house is with devilled eggs. In addition to devilled eggs, which are excellent appetizers you can also chop the eggs up and include them in potato salad, egg salad, or chicken salad (which also happens to make excellent finger sandwiches for a light appetizer). You may also use boiled eggs in the making of cornbread dressing and/or giblet gravy, which are both popular Easter dishes in some southern states.The good news is that there are plenty of dishes that go wonderfully well with eggs. If you like ham this is a great dish to serve with dressing, to make ham salad with later, and to simply have along with your favorite egg recipe. Ham is relatively simple to make as the hard part is often waiting on it to be finished. If you want even more simplicity the only thing you really need to do to have an excellent ham dinner is poor a can of Coca-Cola over the ham, cover it in aluminum foil, and bake it for the necessary duration. It really can't get any easier than that though there are plenty of more complicated ham recipes available.You will want to offer plenty of side dishes to compliment your main dish. Popular favorites are vegetables, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, dressing, sweet potato casserole, and rolls. These are all relatively simple to prepare, not very time consuming and can also be delegated to guests if you'd like without too terribly much fuss. You'll also want to have a few appetizers on hand for the time before dinner is ready and a couple of desserts for the perfect finish - as if those chocolate bunnies from the Easter basket's are not enough. For those looking for fare that is a little lighter on Easter I recommend offering salads with low fat dressing, steamed veggies, use diet coke on the ham instead of regular and prepare at least one sugar free dessert as well as offer some fruit and a raw veggie platter with fat free dip along with the appetizers. Easter is a day to celebrate and you shouldn't leave family members who are dieting to dread their lack of healthy eating options. You'll also find yourself surprised by those who, given the option, will eat the healthier foods if they are available. Make sure you offer plenty of drink options ranging from bottled water, coffee, tea (sweet and un-sweet if you live in the South), and favorite pop brands of family members as well. If you are hosing Easter dinner at your home in addition to these cooking ideas I also suggest offering a place for your guests to change clothes if necessary. Many people come wearing their Sunday best and while it was great for church services and photo opportunities they don't often fare too well with gravy, butter, or grass stains.
Of course you could skip all the advice above and go for a down home hoe do
wn of a barbecue for the Easter holiday that in some parts of the country signals the approach of Spring. Barbecues are often appealing because it limits a good bit of the mess to the great outdoors and gives the kids involved a great place to run, play, and let off steam.


Holidays Challenge: Keep Off Those Extra Calories

The F F F Plan, Extra!

Thanksgiving started off the holiday season that will end on New Year's Day.  During this time of the year, most people struggle with their diet, especially with all the tempting holiday goodies that are being served left and right.  It is expected that most of us are going to overeat during these holidays, but experts advise Americans not to throw good habits out the window during the holidays. For some people, it's like a bleep on the screen. Holidays should not serve as a green light to a six-week indulgence that precedes and necessitates the trip back to the gym on the second day of the new year.  For people who have problems with obesity, this can be a very difficult time as it can really throw them off target. Studies have shown that seasonal weight gain during the holidays is a slippery slope.  One can easily add up ten pounds during the season. While three ounces of white turkey meat has only 130 calories, a serving of sweet potato casserole can give you as much as 330 calories. Stuffing has approximately 107 calories, a slice of pumpkin pie has more than 300, and a piece of pecan pie has 500 calories.  Dietitians recommend that instead of drinking alcohol and other high-caloric drinks, try to enjoy eating pies and turkey with lots of water. Help yourself with a  reasonable portion of meat, vegetables without the high-calorie sauces, and a few small bites of desserts. Eat slowly. But don't get stuck in guilt if you've eaten too much. Feeling guilty only makes things worse. It may lead you to totally abandon your diet and make haphazard decisions to resume weight loss plans in January next year. Walking around the block can help you lose those added calories. It would take 27 minutes of walking to burn the 97 calories in an 8-ounce serving of cola. A really fast mile would burn 125 calories. But it's not enough to cover the 2,000 to 3,000 calories in an average Thanksgiving meals alone. And we still have Christmas and New Years Eve parties to go.
Have a plan of action by visualizing the meal beforehand. Decide ahead of time what food to eat and what to avoid. Eating while sitting is advised to make you feel fuller rather than standing which easily keeps the food down. Eat from a plate to keep things in proportion rather than off a tray, which makes you lose track of how much you already had.You don't really have to deprive yourself of all those holiday goodies. Simply practice moderation. When you get offtrack, returning to an exercise regimen and having the right eating portions can help you get back on the road to a healthier diet and holiday spree.
A pound you gain and can't remove is a pound for life. Extra pounds that come from extra calories are not easy to melt away. So, have keep that plan of action to avoid getting those excess pounds during the holidays. Carefully choose what food to eat.  Eat leisurely, and savor those holiday goodness.