With the endless Christmas parties and New Year's celebrations still to come, the Yuletide season seems to be one overindulgent gorge-fest. And it happens year-after-year with most people making a New Year's resolution to adopt healthier practices, resolving once again to achieve better health.
Kristin Beneby, 30, is one of those people who says she will try to change her eating habits once again when the new year begins. She says after all the family gatherings and outings with friends, during December, she knows she will pack at least 10-pounds onto her five-foot, four-inch 180 pound frame.
"I tell myself every year that I won't overindulge and every year I do it again and again. This year I am sure I did worse than usual, but no matter, I have my exercise trainer on speed dial and I will be hitting the gym like crazy come January," she said. "This will be the big year I'm sure. I just need to keep motivated and diet like crazy. I hope I can stick to it this time."
She also wants to adopt healthier eating habits to set an example for her four-year-old son Max.
Beneby is among the masses of Bahamians who make elaborate plans to drop a few dress sizes at the end and beginning of a new year, but unfortunately according to experts their plans are likely to fizzle out long before the summer months. But getting to a healthier you can become a reality sooner and much easier than you think.
Registered dietitian, Julia Lee, coordinator of clinical nutrition at Doctors Hospital, says making a change this January is not about big steps or elaborate exercise or diet plans, but about the small things people do that will make all the difference.
"It is the season of resolutions and instead of resolving to make a dramatic temporary change, aim to make a permanent lifestyle change," says Lee. "When it comes to creating a better you, the first thing is to be realistic and make it happen with small steps and changes. This will not happen immediately but working on it slowly and steadily will add up in the end."
She says moderating the food intake is the first thing people need to do if they really intend to be on top of their health for the coming year. The dietitian says you can start practicing good habits now so getting into the spirit of good health will come more easily by January. And a key to eating right is not just avoiding overeating, but eating the right portions when you do make your food choices.
Learning to eat and drink right
"It's essential to start by increasing the amount of vegetables you intake because research shows that persons tend to be more satisfied with reasonable portions of the other food groups when they eat more vegetables," said Lee. "A good guide to getting the portion right is to allot a quarter of your plate for your protein like turkey, ham or fish. The next quarter is your starches like rice and potato, and the last half is to be filled with vegetables whether they are cooked or raw."
To stop yourself from overindulging at functions where there are finger foods, a good trick is to deliberately use your non-dominant hand to eat. It will feel weird and you will be more conscious of what you are eating so you don't mindlessly gorge yourself -- which most people are guilty of at this time of the year.
To cut the calories that you can pack on throughout the day, it is important to pay just as much attention to beverages as you do to foods. Even though they are only liquid, sweet drinks can add up calories quickly. Instead of filling up on sodas or other sweet drinks, stay hydrated with water. It is advised that you drink at least eight glasses of water daily, or drink it as often as you are thirsty. If you must drink other fluids, don't ever completely fill up your glass. Instead, dilute juices or other drinks with water or with unsweetened tea. This will stretch the drink without adding calories and you can have the beverage for a longer period -- instead of drinking two or three additional servings of the calorie-packed drink to get you through your day. Keeping well hydrated more often throughout the day makes it easier for your body to not only digest food but break down calories as well.
"Since it is the festive season, alcohol will be about -- and even into the new year, most people will not realistically resolve to cut out drinking entirely. So it's best to know how to moderate this as well," says Lee. "For females the limit is one alcoholic beverage a day which equates to a one-and-a-half-ounce shot glass of hard liquor or one 12 ounce beer or a five-ounce glass of wine. For men the amount doubles. Anything more than that is beyond moderation and bad for your health."
Exercising your way to health
Incorporating a good exercise routine into your daily life is another major thing most people need to change in their lives. This is not to say to just jump into a rigorous gym schedule or get a hardcore personal trainer. Instead the nutritionist says the most successful persons are those who can commit themselves to a 30-minute exercise routine done four to five times a week.
"It's not about doing the exercise for a long time, or changing your life so drastically to fit this new routine into it so that it becomes a burden. Persons unused to exercising who push themselves to exercise for longer periods of time than this are less likely to still be doing this come June and July," she says. "It is for this reason that it is best to do it slow and steadily."
Lee advises that you try something simple that won't strain your pocket like walking or jogging. She says doing things you like and don't have a problem indulging in regularly are also a good way not to bite off more than you chew. If you like basketball, soccer or even baseball, joining a team or gathering a few friends to participate with you a few times a week she says will break up the monotony of exercise as well.
If you are a really busy person, making small changes to your daily life is a good way to add activity to your life. Instead of using an elevator, take the stairs at work. Wash the dishes in the evening as an alternative to running the dishwasher. Rather than plop down on the couch in front of the television at the end of the day, take your dog out for a walk or just take a leisurely stroll around your home or even the neighborhood.
"The idea is to be more active. If you have a sit down job, ensure you get up and walk at least every 30 to 60 minutes. Sitting for too long is a health hazard, so get up and consciously walk, because a body in motion tends to stay in motion. If you are far from the garbage, instead of just throwing it in, take time to walk to it. The more you move and exercise your muscles the better you will feel. In turn feeling more active leads to making more healthy choices."
Even if you can make these changes in your life this new year, the nutritionist says a sweeping amount of weight loss is not what your aim should be. Although most people resolve to lose a lot of weight and become addicted to the scales near the beginning of the year, she says this is not how you should measure your health success.
She advises that you focus on things like decreasing inches around the body or how well you sleep rather than how many pounds you lose. Lee says it is also good to gauge your improving energy level and even how your clothes feel as you make more and more healthy choices. At the end of the day you should only look forward to losing one or two pounds a week. More than this is often too much, and the weight loss will not be done healthily and is often not permanent when it is lost too quickly.
"I would advise people to enter this new year with a more positive attitude toward life. Cut back and eventually completely stop smoking if you are a smoker. Be a moderated drinker and even stop drinking if you can. But most importantly, reduce inactivity in your daily life and just get up and do something even if it's just walking. At the end of the day, just make better choices since it's not only for personal gain but also because all those you love will benefit from a healthier you."
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