Just a month ago, it was food binging during Christmas time with all the delicious turkey spread, chocolates and other glorious sumptuous food.
Now, it's Chinese New Year once again and every open house you go to, including your own, will be filled with a variety of food and titbit's such as cookies from pineapple jam tarts to love letters (Kuih Ka Pek) to butter cookies and so on.
But fret not, just because it's the season to eat and celebrate amongst gambling and drinking... it doesn't mean that one should be a glutton and pile on the weights. There are many things one can do that is simple and yet practical to maintain or shed some weight.
Read some of this good pointers at Glamour.com and find it useful enough to share it with you girls and guys who are anxious about potential weight gaining. =p
A summary. Happy reading and putting it into application!
#1 - Don't be so hard on yourself
It's inevitable to gorge oneself silly during holidays especially hanging out with friends and family. And it's ok. Don't start beating up yourself over the lack of exercise coupled by the food binging. Just accept it and move on which brings me to...
#2 -Keep eating
With all the pigging out, constant eating, you might feel that you need to skip meals to lose the 'fats' but I've learnt that skipping meals will only make you feel more hungry and when you get hungry, it is harder to stick to a diet or any healthy eating plan. And when you cave in to your hunger, you're going to be eating more. Perhaps, cut down on carbohydrates such as rice or bread etc and have more protein like meat and also vege is always good!
#3 - Shake your booty!!
Being on holiday, the only exercise you get is probably walking from the couch to the table for more cookies or lifting your fork to your mouth. But with all that food you input, it's good to exercise. It makes you feel healthier, lighter and it also makes you feel more positive and happy somewhat.
Just a small walk with your cousins or friends around the park or take a hike in the morning or evening whilst catching up doesn't make exercise feel like such a bore.
#4 - Put your goals in black and white
It's easier to have a goal, write it down and achieve it. When you write it down, it's easier to focus than to leave the thought swimming in your mind to be done at a later date.
Being specific is important ie. say you want to lose 1kg by end of February. Or lose 5kgs by 1st June. And apparently it's good to keep a logbook on your exercise regime and food intake. It supposedly helps to minimise mindless eating. This however requires discipline. I tend to forget and write only once a week. >_<
#5 - Love your greens!
It is said by my mum and lots of health experts that vegetables are a natural appetite suppressants. I totally see it, after eating yucky greens, one just does not have any appetite for anything else. Bread, on the other hand is supposedyly an appetite stimulant, hence, you'll see it on tables in restaurants. Well, mostly the ang moh ones. =p
#6 - Leftovers are a NO NO!!
Yes, saving leftover food is good and wasting is bad. However, if you keep temptation in the fridge, it's going to be hard to say no when the hunger pangs comes a knocking. Instead, store fruits and veges as snacks.
I used to shudder at the thought of veges as my snacks but I have come to looove salads with onion and tomatoes drenched in some vinaigrette. Simple to make and filling enough for a meal.
#7 - If you fail to plan, you plan to fail
If you plan your meals, it's easier to keep to it. Of course, try to set realistic ones. In fact, sometimes bringing your own meals to work, you save time and money and at the same time, control what you eat.
I had a colleague previously who had some health issues due to stress and improper food intake. Hence, he started bringing home cook food to work. And every once a week, he'll 'reward' himself for eating healthily. This definitely requires LOTS of discipline but when you see the end results - in his case, he lost a fair bit of weight and looked and felt healthier - it's really worth it.
I always bathe and brush my teeth at the same time after dinner. This is to curb my temptation to snack after as I'll be too lazy to brush my teeth again.
#8 - Lots of h2o is good
Apparently, most of the time when we're hungry, we're actually thirsty. Drinking lots of water is good cos it feels your tummy and it also helps to flush out the bad stuff you input.
#9 - Sleeping early is essential
This is a good habit to pick up and takes awhile to cultivate this habit. If you sleep late, you'll realise when the clock strikes a certain time, say maybe 12am or 2am, your tummy will start to growl and you'll need to snack on something. But if you're asleep by then, you won't feel the hunger and hence, cut down on unnecessary food intake.
#10 - Patience is a virtue
We are an instant society these days whereby we want fast results, instant rewards but like in everything else in our lives, things takes time. Only time will tell. And if you've put in the effort as mentioned from #1 to #9, you just have to practice #10 and you WILL see the results.
I did. I lost about 2kgs but I think since coming back, I prolly put them back. =( No worries, I'll just continually work on it. Was hoping to go for some hiking etc but will have to be realistic and work on my plans to meet all and sundry before I go back.
2011 really is starting out to be a great year and I have to continually be thankful for that. =)
