How to stay slim for the holidays

IN AN EFFORT TO GET SLENDER FOR A long holiday, I’d unearthed my dormant Decléor Aromesscence Contour Slimming Concentrate and Contour Balm from the medicine cabinet.

Along with briefly chugging copious amounts of green tea and halfheartedly reviving a long-forgotten running regimen, I got to thinking about ways one could slim down—or at least stick to a healthy lifestyle with sound food choices—via shortcuts that really work and make sense, without having to commit to a full gym membership or tedious workout schedule, at least in the interim. Think fitness insurance for the couch potato.



Squeeze in protein

When Nicole Richie was yielding rumors regarding her sudden weight loss a few years back, I read an interview wherein she mentioned having a trainer who simply told her to eat protein with all of her meals.

This is as simple as throwing in chicken to fried rice, or enjoying a starchy muffin with peanut butter. Since protein takes longer to digest, it offsets the quick burning of simple sugars that tend to make you crash, and crave more sugar.


Find your poison

Figure out a reasonable antidote if you can’t quit. If you love pork barbecue, go easy on the cake; if pizza and pasta make you happy, toss in a salad before you eat.

My mother’s is baked goods and bread; mine is anything laced with sugar and chocolate.

So these days, when I bake something at home, I try to use whole-wheat flour, add oatmeal to chocolate-chip cookies (pulse it in a blender or food processor to make it disappear into the batter), or incorporate organic ingredients to up the nutrition factor of otherwise waistline-busting concoctions.


Embrace fashion

Coming to terms with the food culprits you allow in your life also correlates to understanding your body, and this is where good fashion advice comes in.

Instead of fretting over your pear-shaped physique, find clothes and accessories that draw the eye up to your slim shoulders and arms. In my case,

I’ve always had a paunch, so my wardrobe consists of plenty of structured tops, flowy prints, and good-fitting shorts. You’ll be surprised at how much fun you’ll have finding the perfect jeans or floral dress, regardless what number you register on the weighing scale.


Eat frequently

Realistically portion your food.

I find it absolutely hilarious how fitness experts tell you to eat 15 pistachios in a sitting or to count the almonds you consume. Have you ever opened a bag of pistachios? Trust me, 15 isn’t happening. A hundred is more like it.

However, I find that there is some truth to this (very) limited portion if you’re already eating frequently that your stomach doesn’t need that much to feel full. Then that’s the only time you could adhere to the 10-almond rule. Which brings me to…


Prioritize the tips you follow

Not all diet strategies work on everybody. As a general disclaimer, before you try anything drastic, check in with a doctor to see if what you’re about to do is nutritionally sound. Also, be sensitive to how your body is reacting or how something agrees (or disagrees) with your natural wiring.

It’s futile to try the Atkins diet if you particularly enjoy sugar bombs (ahem) or turn vegetarian when a juicy fat steak brings Epicurean bliss to your existence. And que horror: the Cabbage Soup Diet if you live for variety.

Setting realistic goals and expectations is what makes a diet successful, and eventually transitions it from let a diet translate into a lifestyle choice.

When I gained 15 pounds a few years back, the Abs Diet (Rodale) by US Men’s Health editor David Zinczencko was what helped me melt the extra weight away in the course of a year. It’s a sensible eating plan that encourages one to go for more food, than less, as in the case of traditional diets.

I still try to incorporate the Abs Diet Power 12 list to this day, which consists of the following: almonds and other nuts; beans and legumes; spinach and other green vegetables; dairy (fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese); instant oatmeal (unsweetened, unflavored); eggs; turkey and other lean meats; peanut butter; olive oil; whole-grain breads and cereals; extra-protein (whey) powder; raspberries and other berries.

Ask Mariel a beauty question at http://BeautyintheBigApple.com, or visit her blog at http://NyMinuteNow.com.

(Image courtesy of Perfumezilla.com (Decleor) and http://shopping.yahoo.com.au (Abs Diet). Original Inquirer article link here.)