From Mary Alice: How to recover from a holiday eating binge

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Mary Alice is a brand new writer at MMA.  She will be giving us great family oriented advice on everything from cooking, cleaning, to gardening and etc.  We are pleased to have her.  The formal welcome to all of our new writers will be out in a few days.  In the meantime enjoy this great information from Mary Alice:

There were no real worries about getting fat in days long past.  For example the pilgrims weren’t particularly fat, at least not those I’ve seen in books or on TV, and the Indians certainly were not.  That, however has all changed since America has everything.  Here is my little story.  I hope you like it:

During most of the year the Pilgrims and the Native Americans lived on a subsistence diet: starches such as bread or rice, in-season fruits and vegetables, occasionally a little meat. So at Thanksgiving and Christmas, they could afford to stuff themselves with “treat” foods such as turkey, dressing, plum pudding, mince pies, and fruitcake.

Today, of course, we have the opposite problem: a year-round over-abundance of food, and an epidemic of obesity. In addition, we have a holiday season that now stretches from Halloween until New Year’s Day, when countless millions of us resolve to lose the extra pounds we gained from all those family and office parties, cocktail parties, open houses, and cookie exchanges.

If overindulging during the holidays has padded your belly, butt, and thighs — and left you with a wardrobe that’s at least one size too small — don’t despair. You can get back to your pre-holiday weight or better.

Here are 10  immediate steps you can take to recover from a holiday binge:

1. Toss the Tempting Treats. Either give away or throw out any remaining high-calorie foods such as pies, cakes, eggnog, cookies, and candy. If you can’t bear to part with certain foods, store them in the freezer for later use.

2. Stock Up on Healthy Foods. Whole grains, fruits, vegetables are rich in fiber, which helps fill you up and keeps your digestive system moving. Unlike sugary foods, these high-fiber foods don’t cause the blood-sugar spikes and crashes associated with overeating. Other good choices include lean proteins such as fish, chicken, and turkey (minus the gravy). Eating such foods can help cleanse your entire system of the after-effects of holiday overindulgence.

3. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Most people don’t get enough! Aim for 5 to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Pick produce in a variety of colors to get a range of antioxidants and vitamins. A serving size is 1⁄2 to 1 cup depending on the fruit or vegetable.

4. Drink plenty of fluids. Six glasses of water per day also keeps your digestive system moving and helps relieve the bloating caused by too much holiday sugar, fat, and salt.

5. Prepare for Sugar Cravings. After coming off a holiday binge, it’s not uncommon to crave cookies, candy, and other sweet treats. To get your fix, reach for sweet fruits such as apples, oranges, and berries, or drink a diet soda.

6. Get Moving. If you avoided your regular exercise routine during the holidays, ease back into it, starting with 20-30 minutes per day of moderate-intensity activity such as brisk walking. If you continued to exercise during the holidays and still gained weight, add an extra 10-15 minutes of exercise to your daily routine. If you gave up exercising years ago, or have never exercised, check with your doctor before starting an exercise program.

7. Continue Healthy Eating. Avoid treats, including alcoholic beverages, which only add empty calories. Focus on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins.

8. Aim for a Healthy Weight Loss. Most experts recommend a diet-and-exercise plan that results in a weekly weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds. You can lose 1 pound per week by cutting 500 calories per day from your usual diet. You can lose 2 pounds per week by cutting 500 calories per day from your usual diet and by taking four 45- to 60-minute brisk walks each week.

9. Think Long-Term. Your odds of success are higher if you make permanent lifestyle changes. Instead of focusing on an outcome goal such as “lose 20 pounds,” focus on a process goal such “eating healthy” and/or “exercising regularly.” A process goal should be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and trackable (meaning that you can record your actions and weight-loss results in a journal).

10. Prepare for Inevitable Setbacks. Don’t beat up on yourself if you eat a bag of potato chips or miss a workout. Just resolve to do better the next day. If you can maintain a healthy lifestyle, you’ll soon shed those holiday pounds, look and feel better, and establish a foundation to prevent another weight gain when the next holiday season rolls around.

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About Post Author

Mary Alice

I cook, clean, garden and am a general annoyance to all.
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13 years ago

Welcome, Mary Alice! This is outstanding advice on all counts. I’m happy to say that I’ve been living by just about all of this advice for a year or more. Well, give or take that delicious chocolate shake I had a couple of hours ago.

13 years ago

So I’ll just change my lifestyle to include all bread pudding all the time. That is the best way to have your holiday alcohol- saturating the drooltastic bready goodness with whisky sauce. MMMMMMmmmmmmmm *slobbers on computer*

Stimpson
13 years ago

thanks for the good advice, Mary Alice.

BigHarryH
13 years ago

My wife is a cooking fool, bless her, and not just on Thanksgiving. Never overeat, I eat good all year.

13 years ago

[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Holte Ender, Michael Scott. Michael Scott said: RT @madmike1 From Mary Alice: How to recover from a holiday eating binge http://bit.ly/cXV1J0 […]

13 years ago

Welcome Mary Alice, I too am with CH on this subject, in fact I quite like it, I have been depriving myself for several weeks in anticipation of little over the top feasting. Thanksgiving is a good time.

13 years ago

Mary, no one could possibly argue with any of that. However, I do take great umbrage to the suggestion that alcoholic beverages should be avoided. You haven’t met my family and in-laws. There is only one way I can deal with their seemingly constant presence over the holiday season. Well, actually a few ways: wine, beer, scotch, and whatever else is left in the liquor cabinet.

Reply to  C.H. McDermott
13 years ago

I’m with you there Mr. McD!!

Jess
Reply to  C.H. McDermott
13 years ago

Wacky weed baby. No hangover after and you can invite those relatives into your sphere while you are smoking, for the contact high. Yer welcome 🙂

all very sensibe suggestions Mary Alice, and not just for the holidays like you say.
Eat less move more people.

Reply to  Jess
13 years ago

Hey why didn’t I think about that? 🙂

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