14 DAY TRIAL // The holiday season is nearing its climax and it is very likely that we too are feeling that we’re about to burst out of our clothes. It’s no wonder, come to think of it, as neither is it something that we should be ashamed of because it happens every year. Yet, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t already be thinking of taking the necessary steps towards losing the extra pounds that have kept, and will probably continue to pile up.
First things first, nutritionists recommend, as cited by SheKnows, that we should not wait until January to start watching what and when we eat. Sure, a New Year resolution is a New Year resolution, but that should by no means imply that we must start doing something about it precisely on January 1. Since there is nothing to stop us from being careful about our meals as of now, Collete Hemowitz, vice president of health and nutrition at Atkins, says that we should also pay due attention to not starve ourselves. Dieting does not equal not eating at all, as many of us often mistakenly understand, but eating moderately. “Eat a small low-carb meal beforehand, or enjoy a filling snack to stabilize your blood sugar,” Hemowitz explains.
The next tip for starting to lose weight has to do with all those holiday sweets we have lying around the house. First off, nutritionists advise us to start getting rid of them as soon as possible, either by throwing them to the garbage bin or by sharing them with friends or, more likely, with their kids. The same goes for gift baskets of sweets or cookies, which we could even donate to various foundations that deal with children. Understandably, we should also bake cookies with sugar substitutes – that is, if we’re fans of home-made sweets and have the “skills” to pull off such tasks.
Hemowitz also tells SheKnows that all-purpose flour in all foods should be replaced with soy, since it’s healthier and, obviously, not fattening. In the same trail of thought, tea should replace the late night treat we often indulge in, while also bringing about a mood boost and a soothing feeling, especially if enjoyed by the fire or the Christmas tree. Another important thing we should also take into account, and which can’t be stressed hard enough, is that this is just the perfect time to remember an old friend of ours – superfoods, aka vegetables and fruits. If we replace sweet snacks with fruits and even veggies, Hemowitz assures us, we should start feeling lighter in almost no time.
Last but not least comes a tip that has more to do with our state of mind towards dieting, than with what we actually eat. To paraphrase Hemowitz, “don’t give up if you fall off the wagon,” meaning, if we err and overindulge one day, we should just accept that we slipped and move on the next day with the same determination of powering through.