Overindulged? 5 Rules for a Slim New Year

 Ah, the holidays.  The glow and excitement of the holidays is almost over and we face the New Year a little bloated, sugared-out, and over-caffeinated.  78% of Americans will site “weight loss” as a New Year’s resolution.  I wonder, if the New Year happened in July—and not after the food-filled holidays—would so many of us feel the need to lose weight?  Or are our resolutions simply the product of overindulgent holidays?  I must admit that even I find myself a few pounds heavier, a few workouts behind, and generally “over” food. This year I will be following a few rules that have always worked for me when I need to get back on track.  If you are feeling the post holiday pain like me, join me- and let’s welcome 2010 fit and healthy.

 Rule #1:  You FEEL worse than you actually are. A few days back on your usual diet and exercise regimen and you will be feeling “normal” again.  After a holiday vacation, my clients often feel that they’ve lost all of the progress they worked for before the holidays.  While fitness does disappear quickly and calories add up, you’re not as far away from your goal as you feel.  Take action and in 3-5 days you will be back on track.

 Rule #2:  Take 5 days to ease back into a normal diet.  The holiday season seems to start earlier every year and this means the celebrations do too.  Many of us begin diet splurges in early December.  By the time January 1^st rolls around, most people have been contemplating the big New Year’s resolution for weeks and are eager to get started on their goals.  A big mistake I see with my clients is a “cold turkey” attitude towards their diet.  The first real week of January comes and people jump full speed into a restricted diet.  Try to avoid this approach and instead take 5 days to wean yourself off of your holiday habits.  Most of us overdo sugar, carbohydrates, alcohol and caffeine during the holidays.  If you stop these abruptly, your body will experience a withdrawal, and you will experience strong hunger and sugar cravings. 

Take the first week after January 1^st to wean off the treats so that when the second week of January arrives, your body will be ready to attack a more restricted diet without the extreme discomfort.  Yes, this means that the fun holiday treats can continue for one more week!

 Rule #3:  Drink Licorice root tea.  This is one of my favorite diet secrets.  Licorice root, an herb classified as an “adaptagen,” assists the body and organs to achieve optimal functioning.  It is not a stimulant or artificial- it is a natural compound that supports the mechanisms of the body so that you feel energetic, refreshed, supported, and stable.  It really helps me beat sugar cravings by stabilizing my blood sugar.  It’s hard to describe exactly how I feel after drinking a cup, but I just feel so much better:  more energized, balanced, less hungry.  Most health food stores carry the Alvita brand, which is a high quality, fresh product.

 Rule #4:  Drink 96 ounces of water every day.  I hope I don’t have to list the endless reasons to increase your water intake, but most of my clients respond to this:  Water is essential in the processing of dietary fat.

 Rule #5:  Take 7 days to ease into exercise. Similar in theory to Rule #2 above, it is important to ease into a new exercise program if you have been off of your normal routine, or are beginning a New Year’s program.  Most people are eager and excited to start a rigorous exercise program by the time January 1^st rolls around.  The #1 biggest mistake I see people making all the time is to jump into hard core exercise too soon.  Aggressive exercise in any body—fit or otherwise—causes an increase in the hormone cortisol.  This hormone, among other functions, causes an increase in water retention and bloating, and a disruption in carbohydrate metabolism.  If you jump into a tough exercise program too soon, you will gain weight (ever wonder why you start an exercise program and GAIN weight?) and have significant sugar cravings.

  This is how our body responds to physical stress like exercise.  You will see much better results if you take one week to gradually increase the intensity and frequency of exercise.  Then, if you must, you can dive into hard core workouts.  Aim to exercise every other day for the first week of an exercise program.  I suggest this for beginners and fitness fanatics alike if there has been more than a 10 day disruption in exercise.

 Please, try these rules and send me your thoughts and experiences.  I’ll be doing them right along with you and would love to hear your feedback.  I look forward to a healthy and fit 2010 with you.

 PHOTO: Flickr / djrome