Fitness Friday: Overcoming Holiday Weight Gain

Everyone hates the weight gain that the holidays typically bring. It's almost inevitable - there are so many gingerbread men and candy canes, and you just have to try one of every flavor...right?

This year, let's overcome holiday weight gain together. Below are five tips that I think will really help you keep off those extra pounds this holiday season!

1. Plan Your Workouts

....and STICK TO IT. 

I know, it's hard. But you can do it. If you put together your fitness schedule at the beginning of the week, you are more likely to actually get your butt off the couch and into the gym because it's now a part of your schedule. If you just say, "Well, I'll go when I feel like it"....trust me, you will NEVER feel like it. So do yourself a favor and plan ahead. 

2. Bake Vegan

Eating vegan is naturally a lot healthier for you, since that means no eggs or dairy will be in your cookies. That doesn't mean you can still eat five cookies, but it will definitely help keep your weight in check. Plus, if you've never baked vegan before, this gives you a chance to experiment! 

3. Use Alternative Sweeteners

Just make sure you use NATURAL sweeteners, like Stevia or Monk Fruit. Both are zero calories and are much better alternatives to sugar or Splenda! I also like to carry around a little squirt bottle of liquid Stevia in my purse. It's handy, and if you want zero calorie sweetened coffee, it does the trick.

4. Set A Limit

Decide how many cookies or scoops of macaroni and cheese you will allow yourself BEFORE you get to the party. That way, you already know your limit and will be less likely to overload on the crappy {yet delicious} food. Then, load up on the healthier options available - like fruit!

5. Plan Your Meals

Decide what you will eat when you aren't at a Christmas party, and then go grocery shopping so you have your supplies. The more prepared you are, the less likely you will be to stray from your plans. Make sure you plan healthy and light meals (like salads, or seared tuna steaks!) so you aren't already weighed down when you get to the party.

Hopefully those tips will help you fight the urge to overeat this holiday season!

What tips do you have?

What fitness printables would you like me to design?

Guest Post: Career Opportunities in Nutrition

Hi everyone! Today I have another guest post for you from Heather! Heather will be talking to you about some different career opportunities you can take within the health & nutrition field today - something I definitely think is important to know. This is perfect for anyone interested in pursuing nutrition as a full time job. Take it away, Shana!

If you're someone who enjoys looking and feeling good and helping others to do the same, a career in wellness may be right up your alley. Whether you are into eating nutritious food, helping to get the kinks out of someone's sore muscles or pushing people to the peak of physical endurance, you can find an outlet for your interests in an alternative health care career. There are also plenty of career opportunities in the world of traditional health care.

Nutritionist
As a nutritionist, your main job function is to get people to think about the relationship between what they put into their bodies and how they typically feel. Anyone can catch a cold or be down with the flu, but when someone is feeling tired and sluggish most of the time, it's a pretty sure bet their diet is suspect. Most of the time, you will work with clients who seek out your services, such as those who want to lose weight. You may also encounter people in the hospital who don't want to hear what you have to say. In either case, talking to someone about their diet can be a sensitive topic, so the perfect blend between light-heartedness and firmness will be essential in this career.

If you're really into the food and body connection, consider taking your career further and becoming a registered dietician. In this role, you would be responsible for planning menus for schools, hospitals, nursing homes, child care centers or other large institutions.

Personal Trainer

Working as a personal trainer gives you the opportunity to develop close relationships with your clients. They come to you because they want to get in shape and need your help to do it. As you push them to reach their fitness goals, they may claim that they hate you for it, but you should never take such an admonishment seriously. Personal trainers help to hold people accountable for their health and fitness goals when all they may want to do is curl up with a bag of potato chips.

As a personal trainer, you will most likely work for a commercial workout facility, although self-employment is a distinct possibility. With the second option, you may meet clients at your own fitness facility or travel to work with them at their homes.

Massage Therapist
When people get sore from the strains of everyday life or from following an exercise plan, a massage therapist is just the person they want to see. As a massage therapist, you will use a variety of different techniques to help alleviate pain and pressure for your clients. You may be employed in private practice, as a member of a sports organization or in a hospital or nursing home. In order to obtain the best results from massage, your patients typically meet with you on a regular schedule that the two of you determine together.

As a trained massage therapist, you need to be comfortable working with people in an intimate setting. After all, your patients won't feel the effect of a massage very well dressed in a suit and tie.

Traditional Health Care
If you're really into the health field, you don't have to limit yourself to only alternative health practices. There are plenty of opportunities available in traditional health care settings for people who have a desire to help others feel better. Some of the options available to you include becoming a doctor or registered nurse, a nurse's assistant, going into a specialty field like radiology or ultrasound technician and numerous other possibilities.


About Heather

Heather Physioc is the Website Manager for Beauty Schools Directory, a site that matches aspiring cosmetology students with the school of their dreams. Contact Heather or Beauty Schools Directory for all your cosmetology education, licensing and career needs.

Why I Gave Up Refined Sugar For Lent

Honestly, its not that hard for me to stay on track with this whole giving-up-refined-sugar-for-Lent thing as long as I'm not around sugar. Then, I'm faced with a large chocolate pudding cake at my residential life staff meeting and I'm craving sugar more than anything.

It's times like these when I have to remember exactly why I gave up sugar. So, here are the health benefits of avoiding of sugar, for those interested!

-There is a connection between eating lots of sugar and low HDL cholesterol levels (the good cholesterol), which means an increased risk of heart diesase
-From 2001 to 2004, Americans consumed approximately 22g or 355 calories worth of sugar each day
-The average American eats approximately 140 pounds of sugar per year (this is white, brown, or HFCS...disgusting)
-Sugar has similar effects on our brain as cocaine...so it is truly addictive! 
-Eating lots of sugar puts you at a higher risk for Type 2 Diabetes
-Sugar has an acidic effect on our body, and the body must neutralize that acidity with alkaline, so the body pulls calcium from our bones (an alkaline mineral) to neutralize the acidity. This weakens our bones! (This is a similar process that the body goes through when dairy is consumed)
-Eating sugar slows down your immune system
-Sugar has been found to nearly paralyze white blood cells for up to 5 hours and reduce their ability to work by 40%
-Sugar increases the serotonin ("feel good" chemical our brain makes) levels in our brain, and we develop a sort of chemical "high." However, because the body naturally cuts back on serotonin production over time, a lack of sugar (and therefore no "feel good") could result in depression when our serotonin levels are low.
-Sugar feeds cancer
-Sugar can decrease growth hormones
-Sugar can lead to osteoporosis (see earlier bullet about acidity)

So, there are quite a few reasons for you on why you should limit your sugar (white & brown sugars, HFCS, and other refined sugars) intake! Try to replace your sugars with natural substitutes that are less refined - like sucanat, evaporated cane juice or stevia - and your body will thank you for it. I would recommend avoiding these substitutes as well - not completely, just decrease your intake of them! Stevia would be my recommendation for a good, natural, no calorie alternative to sugar. Give it a try!

Have a great day!
Much love,