What is your favorite time of the
year? I love fall, the changing leaves, the
sporting events, the pumpkin everything.... a few things though I could do
without – the shorter days, the cooler weather, the homework and the jam packed
schedule, the hibernation instinct that kicks in. I find these things add up to make this time
of year one that can cause my healthy eating and exercise habits to slip. We
all have to go through these “seasonal lifestyle adjustments” so here are 10
ways to keep things on track as you transition through the last part of the
year.
(As taken from Steve Edwards Nutrition Tips).
1. Schedule your exercise One of the most difficult adjustments to make during the fall is getting used
to less daylight. As the days shorten, it seems as if you've got fewer hours
during which to schedule your activities. When you come home from work in the
dark, it hurts your psyche. And it's tough to believe that 7:00 PM is really no
different than it was during July, when you still had 2 hours of daylight left.
Then there's the cold factor. Even if you work out indoors, it's so much easier
to get back under your warm covers or bundle up and sit in front of a fire or
the TV than it is to force a workout. Just remember that exercising makes you
warm. It also keeps you fit and healthy and is the best thing you can do with
cold and flu season right around the corner. Schedule your daily workout like
it's part of your job, and stick to it.
2. Schedule your sleep As our days get busier, we tend to push projects later and later into the
evening. To fuel those longer hours we eat...and eat. This is one major cause
of the freshman 15: the infamous all-nighter. A recent study showed that when
doctors are doing their residencies and are forced to work extremely long
hours, famously foregoing sleep in the process, they each gain an average of
more than 20 pounds. As available daylight decreases, it's common to find
yourself making alterations in your daily schedule, with sleep often losing
out, so schedule your sleep just like you do your work and exercise.
Plan your weekly meals ahead of time so you don't resort to unhealthy "convenience" foods. If your schedule is insane during the week, try taking an hour or two on Sunday to shop and strategize. Put healthy meal and snack options in your car, your office, your backpack, or anywhere you're likely to find yourself hungry. Trust me, the energy you get on the back end of this planning will far exceed the time it takes to plan, especially when you consider how you'll feel if your diet is fueled by fast food.
4. Carry water everywhere
When we're busy, we'll often forget to drink water, especially as the weather cools off. Then, in this dehydrated state, we often confuse thirst for hunger, and we eat. You can avoid this by making sure there's water everywhere you go. Carry a water bottle and refill it at every opportunity. Have an extra bottle in your car, your backpack, at your desk, etc., and behave as if you're in a race each day. Force yourself to drink a glass of water every hour that you're working or studying.
5. Be realistic about alcohol
Another big contributor to holiday weight gain, alcohol, is very high in calories (7 calories per gram) and very low in nutritional value. Every drink you consume is about 200 calories of nutrition that you aren't getting from your diet, or that you're consuming additional calories—overeating—to replace. And this is before we consider the calories you need to consume getting rid of a hangover. If you're a drinker, you'll never be faced with more temptation than during the fall and holidays with tailgating, office parties, and family gatherings. So plan for it. Prior to the event, consider the number of drinks you want to allow yourself and stick to it. Another helpful tip is to carry that water bottle with you socially as well and drink a bottle for every cocktail you have. This will help fill you up so you aren't drinking alcohol to quench your thirst, which happens often at social events. Drinking that water will also keep you hydrated and minimize the effects of a hangover.
6. Plan for parties
Parties happen—and there's not much you can do about it. Even if you aren't social, the party will find you. Many offices are like the one in that Seinfeld episode where the coworkers find any excuse to celebrate, usually with cake or other sugary treats. And with fall comes many such opportunities to indulge. Beginning with Oktoberfest, you'll find a relentless stream of perfectly good excuses to ruin your health that lasts right through New Year's. Plan ahead and decide just which occasions will be worth the indulgence. That way you'll be fully armed with reasons when your coworkers start bringing in all those home baked goodies.
7. Begin a morning ritual
One of the easiest ways to live a healthy lifestyle is to begin each day by doing something positive. During the summer, we often let this slide because, well, we can. With long warm days to look forward to, there always seems to be time to do something energetic. As the days shorten, making the effort to be healthier takes more discipline. Beginning each day with something healthy, even something as brief as a 5-minute ritual of breathing deeply, stretching, and thinking about positive things you want to accomplish with your day, can give you a whole new outlook.
8. Find a healthy nighttime ritual
Many of us undo an entire day's productivity in the last few hours before bed. This is particularly true when we're busy and/or stressed because we want to unwind, which often means cocktails and/or desserts in front of the TV. If you can find a healthier way to unwind, you'll do yourself a world of good. And even if you can't get away from the cocktail/dessert/TV habit, adding something at its end, instead of just sacking out, can reverse much of the damage. Stretching in front of the TV is one of the easiest ways to make that transition. Following up your stretching with herbal tea and some relaxing reading can have you hitting the sack with a much more positive attitude.
9. Make a positive New Year's resolution now
Instead of waiting until New Year's to undo and repair the damage caused by a fall-into-winter slide away from your fitness goals, make a resolution to get there, starting today, with improved fitness and health. Just think about how much better your goals can be for next year if you finish this year on a positive note. Why put yourself through the work of digging yourself out of a hole you make deeper from now through the end of the year? Instead, set yourself up, beginning right now, to have a banner New Year.
10. Cut yourself some slack
You can't be perfect, and, frankly, who wants to be? You've got to live. By planning ahead with goals in mind, you'll be far more able to relax about the holiday season, and maybe even enjoy it a little too. So make a plan and do your best to stick with it, but don't forget to make enjoying the season and having some fun part of that plan.
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