Maintain, Don't Gain Week 2

It's Week 2 of the Maintain, Don't Gain Holiday Challenge. It still isn't too late to join at www.myeatsmartmovemore.com!

Here's a preview of this week's newsletter... plus more recipes & suggestions for toe-tapping Christmas music!

Top Five Rules to Survive Holiday Parties

1. Before joining the line..., take a peek at what food is offered.

2. Downsize (your plate) & supersize (the healthy choices).

3. Heavy sauces can drown out even the healthiest vegetables.

4. Keep hands occupied.

5. Wait until 20 minutes before deciding whether to go back for another bite.

Maintain, Don't Gain Perks & Rules

As mentioned, the Maintain, Don't Gain Holiday Challenge just started. (BTW, it's NOT too late to join in a http://www.myeatsmartmovemore.com/HolidayChallenge/index.html!)

For those unfamiliar...

- Goal: MAINTAIN your weight during the holidays.

- The Challenge is FREE & lasts through Dec. 31.

- By signing up, you'll get about 6 weekly e-mails with tips on nutrition, physical activity, & stress reduction. There's also yummy, new recipes included. You'll also have access to their weight log, food diary, physical activity log, calorie calculator, meal planner, healthy ingredient substitutions, & lots of delicious recipes.

- After completing the survey, you also have a weekly chance to win a prize.

Here's a small taste of Week 1's newsletter...

How to Stuff the Turkey (and not yourself) in 3 Steps

It's easy to go overboard on Thanksgiving Day. It's that once a year, special meal. The smells wafting from the kitchen all day are like torture for your senses.... The trick to enjoying Thanksgiving to its fullest is mixing and matching and maybe just a little bit of math, too.

Step 1: Eat regular meals.... Skipping meals unintentionally sabotages your goals....

Step 2: Figure out how many calories you have to work with... you can plan on Thanksgiving making up 1/3 of your day's calories....

Step 3: Mix and match your holiday favorites... Be sure to include the foods you really love... but be aware of how they fit into your overall meal...

Have a happy, healthy Thanksgiving!

Maintain, Don't Gain Holiday Challenge

Time to sign up for the

Maintain, Don't Gain Holiday Challenge!

http://www.myeatsmartmovemore.com/HolidayChallenge/index.html

Use the Holiday Challenge to help set the stage for our

2012 Granville-Vance Eat Smart Move More Weight Loss Challenge.

New MARCH start date will help prepare for summer shorts & bathing suits!

Fall--ing Off the Wagon

A couple of weeks ago, I posted about some of fall's nutritional superstars. Well, here are some of fall's flubs (nutritionally speaking)...

- 9 Frighteningly Fattening Fall Foods: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/9-frighteningly-fattening-fall-foods

- Top 4 Most Fattening Fall Foods: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1400

Take-Away Tips

- Just because it sounds healthy doesn't always mean it is! (pumpkin latte anyone???)

- Stay active. Add a little extra activity if you've indulged in some extra treats...

- Special treats are only special treats if you don't eat them frequently.

- Remember to consider portion size, especially when eating less healthy choices.

Next week, we'll discuss how to modify your favorite holiday recipes to make them a bit healthier but equally yummy! Just in time for Thanksgiving...

Time for Change...

To me, the end of Daylight Saving Time marks the shift towards winter... Soon, it will be dark when we get up. It will be dark when we drive home. Once the temperatures drop, the motivation to be active tends to be much harder to come by!

With this in mind, start revising (or creating) your "how to fit in fitness" plan.

- Post your motivation to be healthy somewhere prominent.

- Are you (or your body) bored with your workout? Look for a new challenge or a way to change things up.

- Do you need to swap, borrow, buy, or update anything for your indoor home workouts?

- Think of ways to add physical activity into your daily tasks (e.g., parking further away, being active during commercial breaks, etc.).

Here are ideas that may help. And, don't forget to look back over prior posts for more tips!

- Assurance that even busy people can make healthy living a priority-- http://blogs.webmd.com/pamela-peeke-md/2011/10/making-it-happen-48-hours-of-walking-my-talk.html?ecd=wnl_wmh_110411

- Ways to speed up &/or spice up a walking routine-- http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/walking-for-exercise?ecd=wnl_fit_110411

- How to get more out of your workout in equal or less time with intervals-- http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/interval-training/SM00110

Feel free to share your ideas, tips, or motivations for being active!