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Tis' The Season to Gain 5lbs……
By Cheryl Broughton, CPFT, NASM, ACE, AFFA

Tis' the season to be jolly, full of laughter, Christmas cheer and…… stuffed with sweet gooey cakes, fresh baked pies, cheese covered casseroles and thick, rich eggnog. Yes, it's that time of year when your will power "takes a back seat" while your common sense grabs the wheel and stomps on the gas. Your insatiable cravings say "yes!" to everything that is passed in front of your plate and why not, you deserve it, right? Or at least that's what we like to tell ourselves.

With all the holiday shopping, holiday parties and working late, it leaves us with little time to sleep, much less exercise. It's no wonder that most of us will wind up about 5 pounds heavier by the time the New Year rolls around. But, it doesn't have to be that way. If you choose your portions correctly and fit in mini workouts when you can, you won't have to list "lose weight" as one of your new years resolutions for another year in a row.

Do The Right Thing
Forget the fat burners and save your money for Christmas presents. The best way to stay fit during the Holidays is not through some magic pill that "burns fat while you sleep." I am going to let you in on a simple, lost cost and very effective weight loss secret -- consume fewer calories than you expend. It's just that simple. You need a deficit of 500 calories a day over a period of a week (2,500) to lose one pound a week. I suggest that you split the 500 calories by performing cardio vascular exercise and weight training to burn about 250 calories and then cut back on about 250 calories a day. Cutting back is as easy as replacing those afternoon Christmas cookies and eggnog with some Turkey Jerky and a bottle of water.

Celebrations and Moderation
It's during this Holiday season that we rush from one party or celebration to the next indulging in oversized portions of food and snacks, eat late at night and at different times of day than we normally would. This is how the pounds slowly creep up. You don't have to be neurotic about what you eat and how much you exercise, just keep your caloric intake in check and fit in exercise as often as you can. It's what ever you do consistently that will result in the success or failure of your weight loss plan.

I'll admit it: even as a personal trainer, I have been known to indulge in a slice of pecan pie with ice cream on top as well as mashed potatoes covered in gravy. But, here's the exception - moderation. Say it with me: M O D E R A T I O N. I know, it's often hard to control your urges and dollop a small or moderate sized portion on your plate when it all looks and smells so good. Trust me, it can be done. Remember, it won't be as hard to loose those extra inches if you don't put them on in the first place.

Here are a few easy solutions for your Holiday parties and get togethers.

-Don't arrive to the party hungry. Eating a meal or snack before you arrive will prevent uncontrollable urges to attack the food spread like the Tasmanian Devil -- devouring each morsel till it's gone.
-When dining at a restaurant, eat a piece of fruit or snack before you go to avoid filling up on bread or chips that are served before the meal arrives.
-If you do arrive to the party hungry, drink tomato juice (which is very filling) water or even spritzer to calm your hungry stomach.
-Reach for the fruits and vegetables, which fill you up without filling you out. This way you are less likely to say "yes" when the appetizer tray covered with bacon wrapped hotdogs passes by.
-Instead of eating all carbohydrate rich foods at the party, include a little protein in each meal and snack. Protein will keep you fuller -- so you'll eat less and feel full longer. Good choices are turkey, chicken, nuts (without oil and sugar), tofu and salmon.
-Choose foods prepared with spices and herbs instead of those covered in sauces, butter or margarine.
-To save calories and fat, trim the skin and fat off chicken and other meats. Chicken, Fish and Turkey are leaner selections over Ham, Steak and Pork.
-Avoid deep fried and breaded foods -- these are loaded in calories. Eat foods that are roasted, broiled, boiled, steamed or poached.
-When it comes to sweets and rich desserts moderation is the key. Healthier choices are Jell-O, pudding and angel food cake.
-The main thing to remember is if you really want to try a special appetizer or dish -try it -- even if it's just a bite. This way you don't feel deprived and over indulge at the next meal.

Pouring On The Calories
Holiday parties are often associated with food, fun and alcoholic beverages. This is where many people go overboard with calorie consumption. As you know, drinking a liquid beverage does not give you the same sensation of fullness as with solid foods. So, people continue having one drink after the other and before they know it - they have consumed half or more of their suggested daily caloric intake in just four or five drinks.

The next time you head to the party, remember these tips on Holiday "Spirits."

-Try not to drink on an empty stomach. Not only does it quickly affect your soberness, but also it goes straight to your voice of reason and says: "hey, eat all you want, they'll make more!" The will power you arrived with soon slips out the door and many calories later you are still feeding your case of "drunken munchies."
-Wines are better choices over hard liquor and dessert drinks. Red wine actually contains antioxidants from the grape seeds and skin. Red and White wine averages about 100 calories per glass.
-Although beer is fat free, it is loaded in calories. You can save 45 calories by drinking light beer over regular beer.
-You can cut your calories in half by diluting wine and other drinks with seltzer and ice.
-Champagne is another low calorie alternative with only 125 calories compared to a White Russian (Vodka, Kahlua, heavy cream), which is about 450 calories.
-Most eggnog recipes contain about 400-500 calories depending on how it is made. There are many varieties to choose from at the super market, which are lower in calories. Most contain about 100-200 calories without alcohol.

Holiday Travel Tips
Being away from home doesn't have to be devastating to your waistline. Here are a few tips that will help you stick to your healthy habits when away from home.

-Whether flying or driving, people tend to fight boredom and fatigue with eating. Bring games for the kids and magazines or tapes you've wanted to listen to but have never had the time to do so.
-When flying, make sure you pack plenty of healthy snacks just in case you get caught in the "peanuts only" flight time of day. Get stuck on one of these flights and you are sure to grab the first bite of pizza or fries or cheeseburger you can get your hands on the minute you're off the plane and in the airport.
-Healthy snack options are dried fruit, turkey jerky, roasted soy nuts, protein bars and trail mixes made of nuts and seeds,
-Flying dehydrates the body. Avoid alcohol and caffinated drinks, as these will surprise you with cottonmouth every time. You should drink one glass of water for every hour in flight.
-Keep regular mealtimes and eat healthy snacks between meals. This helps you stick to your healthy habits and prevents mental fatigue and cloudiness because you haven't eaten in a while.

Bust Holiday Calories with these mini workouts
Working out helps increase levels of "feel-good" brain chemicals known as endorphins. This can help revive a tired shopper to get up and go for another round. Twenty to thirty minutes of exercise, three to four times a week not only promotes health and energy, but is also an anecdote for mild depression and anxiety. Don't have twenty minutes? Chop your workout time into smaller bits, like a 10-minute walk before or after dinner and a 10-minute walk during lunch. Brief bouts of exercise boost your metabolism regularly throughout the day.

Try squeezing in these mini workouts between your shopping trips and holiday dinners or parties. Remember to stretch before and after your workouts to prevent injury and release tension in the muscles.

One Minute Warm up Jumps Works the Quadriceps and Hamstrings - the front and back of the thighs. Use your imaginary jump rope and gently hop or skip in place. This drill is great for getting your muscles warmed up and ready for the following exercises. Do this for one minute, then go on to the next exercise.

One Minute Stair Stepping Works the Quadriceps and Hamstrings - the front and back of the thighs. Take a few flights up and down the stairs to work the legs and to get your heart rate elevated. This exercise burns quite a few calories because it works your largest muscle groups. Do this for one minute, then go to the next exercise.

30 Second Pushups Works the Chest, Shoulders and Arms - Pectorals, Deltoids and Triceps. If you need more resistance, do them on level ground. If you need less resistance, do them on level ground with your knees resting on the floor. Place hands shoulder width apart, slowly lower your body to half way then push up. Do not lock the elbows out when lifting up. Do this for one minute, then go to the next exercise.

One Minute Chair Squats Works the front and back of the thigh - Quadriceps and Hamstrings. Bend forward at the waist, slowly lower your hips as if you were sitting in a chair, then slowly rise to starting position. Do not allow knees to go forward over the toes. Do this for one minute, then go to the next exercise.

One Minute Can Curls Works the front of the arm - Biceps. Use dumbbells or resistance bands for more resistance. Stand with feet shoulder width apart and palms facing up. Lift your palms up to your biceps and slowly lower. Do this for one minute, then go to the next exercise. For more resistance - use a gallon of water or a set of weights.

30 Second Chair Dips Works the back of the arm - Triceps. Slowly bend your arms and lower your body from the shoulders - not the hips, then raise and straighten the arms. Do this for 30 seconds, then go to the next exercise.

One Minute Can Raises Works the shoulders - Deltoids. Use dumbbells or resistance bands for more resistance. Raise one arm at a time up to shoulder level, then slowly lower. Do this for one minute, then go on to the next exercise. For more resistance, use a gallon of water or a set of weights.

One Minute Abs Works the stomach muscles - Abdominals. Start with shoulders slightly lifted off the floor, then raise up just an inch and lower down to starting position. Keep the chin stationery by staring at an object on the wall or ceiling. Do not lift with the shoulders, elbows or neck - make the abs do all the work. Do this for one minute and start all the exercises over again.

For best results, you must use all four components of an exercise program: (1) Make healthier food choices (2) Perform cardio vascular exercises (3) Perform resistance or weight training exercises (4) Mental Focus. Keep it up and you'll emerge in better shape than when the holiday season began.

Cheryl Broughton is the creator of The Fitness Edge Boot Camp (F.E.B.C.) and host of The Fitness Edge Health & Fitness TV Show (airs every Thursday at 5:30pm on Channel 20). F.E.B.C. is a "fresh air" program which focuses on the mental aspects of fitness as well as team building skills, cardio and resistance training, obstacle courses, nutrition counseling and more.

For more info: www.efitnessedge.com or call 661-299-7778.