Healthy Holidays

The most wonderful time of the year can also be the worst time of the year for your waistline. Some simple tips that we all need to be reminded of (daily, especially when faced with a smorgasbord of treats) will help you keep that waistline healthy, and those regrets of too much holiday cheer come New Years Day slim to none: 

The best time to change a lifestyle for your summer bikini is not the first of the year! Start now and you won't have to work so hard or have that same New Years Resolution from last year. Time to quit sounding like a broken record!! 

Tip #1: Fill your plate with veggies FIRST! Go for a salad as a starter.

Studies show that eating a salad before a meal lead participants to eat less at the following meal than those who did not eat a salad before their meal. Fill up with the good stuff and you'll leave less room for the sugary, fat or sodium filled indulgences. 

Tip #2: Do NOT skip meals throughout the day before a big holiday feast. 

Skipping meals throughout the day leaves you more prone to overeating later. Our body's can only handle so much nutrients to process at once, and each meals extras will end up as extra fat stores to work off later on. Fill up with a high protein, high fiber breakfast before a lunch gathering such as an egg and spinach omelet or oatmeal with fresh berries and a glass of milk. Before a dinner affair, try a sandwich made with whole wheat bread, guacamole or hummus spread, veggies and lunch meat for a filling lunch. The key is to eat wholesome meals throughout the day, and let yourself get moderately hungry instead of starving before going to a food filled party. You'll be able to have your cake and eat it too!

Tip #3: Avoid overeating and overdrinking!

Let's face it, our eyes are always bigger than our stomach. Especially when you're staring down a table full of grandma's freshly baked goods. Try using a smaller plate, and get small portions of everything so you can try it all, without overeating. 

Another way to prevent overeating is splitting desserts. Grab a sampler plate and share it with your sister or significant other. You'll be spreading holiday cheer and cutting calories in half!

Drinking is another way to pack on the pounds without realizing. Alcohol and sugary drinks DO count as much as we wish they wouldn't. Try drinking water in between glasses of wine. It'll save you pounds and possible holiday embarrassment ;)

Tip #4: Include Physical Activity Daily!

On Thanksgiving, my family always takes a long afternoon walk before we come back and watch the football game. It gives us a way to bond, enjoy the cool crisp autumn air, and walk off that food baby we just made. Plus sitting around the tv watching football may be bonding, but getting outside and away from technology sure is a more refreshing and enjoyable way to bond, and we actually get to talk more than we would sitting around the living room!  

Set a goal. My goal is to run at least 30 min every other day, and add in squats, push ups, and sit ups on alternating days when I'm not running. Keeping a calendar or reminder in your phone to get up and engage in physical activity every morning can help! 

The main goal here is maintain a healthy weight over the holidays. Keep these tips in mind and you'll be able to enjoy time with family and friends without the added guilt, and the upset tummy!


-Lo

PERSERVERANCE

If there's one thing running has taught me, it's to try and try again, even if you feel like your legs will fall off. And, that one more step behind another, no matter how fast, is still getting you one step closer to your destination. 

Through running I was able to find a passion for a whole new world of health. And interestingly enough, while I learn more and more about it every day, the best thing about it has been that there is always something new to learn. 

What world might that be you ask? The world of nutrition. Something that seemingly went along with my home ec cooking class many years ago.

Coming from a long line of Germans, food was always on the fore-front of every family gathering. Like any other culturally driven, tight-knit family, passing down the art of cooking was not just tradition, it was woven through our souls. It made every generation closer somehow, although we have not all touched the earth at the same time. My grandfather is the king of barbecue, sausage, and any kind of cured meat mixed with beans or potatoes. My father learned as well, showing my brother how to make deer sausage after a cold night of hunting. And my grandmother, she is the queen of sweets and buttered vegetables. The kind that melt in your mouth and leave you wanting more. We had butter-bread with every meal, savoring every last bite and always being encouraged to go for more before we laid down for a long nap. The problem is, Diabetes runs rampant in our families. It affected my dad as his beer drinking days caught up with him in his 50's. And as soon as I knew it any weight gain from the freshman 15 in college affected me more than I ever could have known. 

As soon as my father started taking an interest in his health, I did too. I was in my third semester in college and completely unsure of what to major in. When I took a running and jogging class and finally aced (you know, completed) my first 5K I was hooked. We did a diet and food record analysis as one of our projects and thought hey, this is pretty interesting. I figured I would try taking nutrition courses to see if I liked it and I fell in love ever since. It was like it was my calling. Making a difference and changing people's health now for the future, how awesome is that!

So here I am now, while this is a quick flash forward through many sleepless nights of studying biochem, nutrition and metabolism, and two half marathons (more to come) and one marathon down (at least one more to come), I made it. I graduated with a degree in nutrition, got some work experience in the field before applying to dietetic internships, and by the grace of God was accepted into my first choice internship at UTMB Galveston. I still can't believe I made it, and all those sleepless nights finally feel worth it. They made me stronger and let me know that perserverance, no matter where you came from or where you've been, can make all the difference. That one more mile, that one more step, that one more push that you have left can make all the difference. There's so much more to my story and much more to come. So I hope to share my experiences, classroom knowledge, and personal story to inspire others to take on a challenge that seems so far out of reach. Who woulda thought that full figured German girl could become a healthier, happier version of herself? I'm not sure I did years ago when I started. But that dream kept me going, and those small steps got me there.