Sunday, December 16, 2007

Lazy Ways to Lose the Party Weight

"The best exercise I know is to shake your head from left to right and right to left when you are offered food." Father of Holistic Health,Dr Bernard Jensen on Weight Loss.

But that is probably really tough when it comes to this time of the year.

This is the time of the year where many eat and make marry. It is the time of the year where you've just barely finished digesting a massive Xmas dinner when the neighbors start showing up with tins of Christmas cookies. And it's tough to resist the dangerous allure of the ultra-rich eggnogs and all that calorie-adding booze at your company's holiday party.

This month isn't just about sharing gifts or the holiday spirit – it's also very much about eating. And though the culinary indulgences may seem irresistible, when you discover that your favorite jeans won't slide past your thighs anymore, you kind of wish you'd given that last cookie a miss.

The holiday season tends to make even the fittest of people pack on the extra pounds. The worst part is, unless you want to shell out for an expensive membership at your local gym, it can be tough to drop the weight – it's not much fun to bike ride in a blizzard, after all.

Still, if you want to keep the pounds from piling on, there are plenty of great ways to stay svelte that don't involve diet pills or a treadmill. Here are our favorite lazy ways to lose the weight.

Snack smart.
There's really nothing wrong with sneaking in a quick afternoon snack – as long as it's the right kind. To avoid the weight gain, stay away from chips, pretzels, and other processed foods, and go for a healthy snack like baby carrots with fat-free ranch dressing instead. When you snack the correct foods, you tend to feel more full and will not end up eating more than you should.

For those who are already in VPlus and Fibre Plus, snacking on VPlus and Fibre Plus is good as well as not only does it not add extra, unwanted calories to your body, you also have the added benefit of detoxing the extra waste quickly! (Someone I know lost 0.5kg despite all that eating after drinking lots of Fibre Plus)

Control Your Portions
For snack maniacs, if you absolutely must get your daily dose of Doritos or Sun Chips, control your portions: Research shows that when food is measured out in advance, we eat a lot less of it, so pick up some 100-calorie snack bags or parcel out the contents of a large bag into individually-portioned plastic baggies before you dig in.

Don't hang around the wrong crowd.
According to a recent study, most women tend to gain weight after moving in with their boyfriends, likely because they start picking up their partners' unhealthy eating habits. If you share the same problem, we're not advocating that you ditch your significant other – but it might help to implement a household healthy eating plan, and tell your partner to chow down on his burgers and pizza elsewhere.

If you work at an office, try starting a Co-Worker Diet plan, where you and like-minded colleagues can keep track of your dietary accomplishments and cheer each other on. You're much less likely to sneak that donut at breakfast when you know it'll make you the office pariah all day.

Be self-aware.
Studies have shown that weight loss is much more effective when you set goals for yourself. Know what weight you want to be at and measure yourself everyday to see how far or near away you are from your goal. In case you ate too much last might, the weighing machine will act as a good reminder for you to watch your diet today.

It also helps to be mindful of how much exercise you do on a regular day: Even if you don't do any extra work, when you're aware of how many calories you burn on an ordinary day, studies show that you're likely to lose weight and gain other health benefits. It may seem strange, but when your body knows it's been working hard, it'll act like it.

Sleep tight.
When you manage to sleep well on a regular basis, you're far more likely to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, according to a massive study performed by Case Western University. According to the results, poor sleepers were 30 percent more likely to have gained over 30 pounds during a 16-year period. Make sure you sleep seven hours a night or more to gain all the health benefits that shut-eye can provide.

You might also want to refer to How To Stay Slim Even After CNY for more slimming tips this festive season.

Back to MAIN for more inspiring weight loss stories.