While all CC threads ARE for everyone, this one really is for everyone. Everyone who wants to join THIS bandwagon. (if you aren’t interested, feel free to return to your plate of Christmas cookies!)
A relatively healthy December can help you avoid being the person in line at the gym January 5 because you feel sluggish and want to lose the 5 pounds you gained the since Thanksgiving. You will just be in line at the gym because you’re AWESOME and you want to keep up the healthy habits you reasonably kept up in December (and maybe before!)
My workplace shared this tips today for a “Healthy You” this season:
The holidays can be stressful because of the mile long to-do’s but it is important to keep your health and stress relief at the top of the list.
• Incorporate at least 30 minutes of activity daily
• Practice moments of mindfulness throughout the day
• Get at least 7 hours of sleep each night
• Drink at least 64 ounces of water daily
• Reduce sugary treats and increase nutrient dense snacks
• Enjoy a non-food holiday activity
• Create a new holiday tradition
Healthy Nutrition Tips to Remember
Make your own healthy food and bring it to events to share with others.
Indulge on one unhealthy item, not an entire meal or day.
Eat before you feast! Avoid starving yourself all day to “save up” for unhealthy foods.
Find healthier ingredients to substitute in baking and cooking.
Who wants to try and be accountable? Let’s use this thread till the new year to try and stay on track or to get back on track!
Which of these do you excel at (pick at least one) and which do you need work on (pick at least one!)
I’ll go first.
I’m good at…getting at least 7 hours of sleep a night - almost always - my Fitbit tells me I average 7.5 hours.
I need help at…drinking at least 64 ounces of water daily. Besides one cup of coffee in the morning I almost exclusively drink only water - BUT I know I don’t drink enough. More water would help flush my system.
Also want to say…
THIS IS NOT ABOUT NEVER HAVING A CHRISTMAS COOKIE.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT ONLY EATING FROM THE VEGGIE TRAY AT PARTIES.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT RUNNING 5 MILES A DAY.
It’s about doing your personal best - WITH effort. Accepting suggestions. Giving advice. Giving and accepting support.
Respectfully, I disagree with the advice to get 64 ounces of water daily. It’s an old rule of thumb --based on 8 8oz glasses–but IMO it doesn’t work for most people. The amount of water you need to drink varies as much as the number of calories you need to eat. It all depends on you–how big you are, your sex, how much you exercise, the climate, your age, how much other fluid you drink, whether you drink alcohol, your salt intake,etc. Google yourself and you’ll see that lots of sources say it’s an unreasonable goal. I agree that it’s good to drink a lot of fluid, but insisting on a specific amount of WATER is not wise
.
^^^ I can buy that. But I can also appreciate that I don’t need to measure to know that I’m not filling my cup anywhere near 64oz. a day. Not looking to drown out, but the concept of what water does FOR your body - and if you exercise regularly DOES need to be replaced - that I buy.
Also, to say “most people” - that means a firm majority - is a pretty broad statement.
I’m in, too! I have started out by signing up for an online running challenge. I have to run at least one mile every day, Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day. I find that once I’ve made the effort to run, I’ll go farther than a mile.
I’m also committed to getting in at least 10,000 steps a day on my Fitbit.
My challenge is food. Especially chocolate and sugar. I need to lose about 35 pounds, and it’s just not coming off.
I’m in! @MaineLonghorn - if it makes you feel better, I need to lose about 45# and it is a huge struggle for me. I’ve recently committed to getting myself in shape, even if the scale doesn’t show it. In October I started a really rigorous workout that I go to 3x/week. It is the most intense workout that I’ve ever done (and considering my current weight and physical shape, it’s not pretty!) But I have promised myself to stick to it. I’ve actually gained a couple of pounds , so food is the next hurdle. I’m not a huge sweets person, but carbs and portion control are my issues.
@my2sunz embrace the extra pounds while you’re working out! I know that it sounds crazy, but sooooo many people hop on the scale when they start working out and see the numbers go up. They lose confidence. This is common. When I decided to run my first marathon I GAINED 10 POUNDS but I lost two dress sizes. Weight does not necessarily correlate with thinness.
Fat weighs less than muscle. If you’re working out and you gain a little weight, that’s probably muscle and bone density. My doctor told me that much of my weight gain was bone density. Which we as women all need a lot of.
Keep going and STAY OFF THE SCALE. Use a tape measure instead to mark your progress. Measure your waist, your legs, whatever you want, but stay off the scale. We do not own a scale in my house because of this. I want my girls esp. to know that they are healthy and to not obsess about the pounds.
Poundage doesn’t nec equal health.
I look like I weigh about 115 (that’s what people guess) but my actual weight is about 140 and I work out like a demon. I embrace my “heavy” weight because it means my muscles are strong and my bones are too.
I’m good at getting at least 30 minutes of activity in every day. Usually much more than that.
I need to do better at… reducing sugary treats. I am my own worst enemy. I love to bake and I love to eat. This is really what I need to focus on for the holidays.
I’m always up for a reminder to stay on the healthy side.
I have a potluck lunch on Tuesday. It’s so easy to bring something sweet or a pasta type salad but I want to bring something that isn’t a carb. Ideas?
I’ll join in. I’d love to not only maintain in December but lose 5 of the extra 10 lbs. I’m carrying right now.
I drink 64 oz. of water every day in addition to other fluids (usually green tea). I feel terrible if I don’t. As long as it’s room temperature I enjoy drinking it. Cold water is tough to get down in the winter.
On the negative side…I eat a lot of garbage and it fills me up so I don’t eat the healthy stuff. Bad bad bad.
I’m in! I need to be accountable to sticking to my 5-2 efforts which have been weak lately. Plus all the leftovers in m house from TG are killing me. I just packed back on several pounds i have spent months losing.
I’ll second or third the assertion that the 64oz of water thing is a complete myth, but if some people feel better following it, more power to them!
I need to figure out exercise when it’s too cold/dark for kayaking/biking, but walking hurts my bum knee.
I’m in! I do a good job with keeping active. I’m looking at a New Years Eve 5k, but don’t plan to register until I can make sure the weather is OK. But I still have to keep running, right? Just bought a yearly yoga pass so I’ll stll be practicing.
I’m trying to get to bed earlier so I can get 7 hours of sleep.
I love those New Year’s Eve runs – such a great way to start off a new year. When I lived in Manhattan we would usually pull a group together and bring our running clothes to wherever we were having dinner --then head over to Central Park for the run. Haven’t done one in a few years.
Yeah if you keep running into winter, you can probably run throughout the winter. I go in the parks even when it’s icy, and sort of skate along. Knock on wood, in a gazillion years of doing this I haven’t fallen once.
We just got back from a cruise over thanksgiving week and I put on about 6 lbs. Yeah, cry me a river, but to me it’s aggravating. I’ve been trying to get back on my 5-2, but I am still in cruise mode food-wise.
I DEFINITELY need to commit to a 30 min walk each day and adding yoga back into my weekly routine…
Nice to see the effort and initiative of many here! I’m going to TRY and post a healthy tip each day - you can chime in if it’s a good tip or not for you - some will be, some won’t!
, so food is the next hurdle. I’m not a huge sweets person, but carbs and portion control are my issues.