COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS

From to the cold breeze to the dew falls, it is obvious that Christmas is lurking around the corner. One will also observe that big corporations and companies have already beautified the front of their offices with the traditional red and green drapes; another pointer to the fact that Christmas is coming soon. Inside some of these offices, it is not out of place to see long Christmas lighting wired across the building. Already the Santa Claus red cap and other Christmas paraphernalia are in hot demand now. These only give one impression; we are counting down to Christmas.

Christmas is not just a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ but a time to relax, party, visit friends and go places. It is the twelfth month in the calendar and many people look forward to it. Apart from this fact, the month of December precedes the New Year. Thus people travel from the length and breadth of the earth to reunite with loved ones and family; only travelling back after the Christmas and New Year festivities.

No doubt Christmas is fun. With it comes the wide array of delicacies and assorted wines to choose from. It gets merrier when you have functions lined up for you to attend within the same period.

But hey, before you gobble all the mouth watering dishes and drink all the wine in the name of Christmas (and New Year) watch it! You are only adding calories upon calories to your body. You are increasing your sugar level, cholesterol level and fat in your body!

In this part of the world where there is an obvious erroneous impression that plus sized people are healthy people, eating anything and everything without caution becomes the order of the day. It gets worse when the season in question encourages it. This calls for a candid assessment of our eating habits especially now that Christmas is around the corner.

Some of the biggest mistakes that many people have made regarding weight loss in Christmas include but not limited to:

i.                    Not measuring what you eat: When you don’t take note of the size of what you eat, and don’t measure it, chances are that you won’t know the amount of calories you are accumulating. The end result is that you don’t know exactly the quantity of fat, carbs etc you are taking. In many cases after Christmas, you hear people wondering how they have put on so much weight in so short a time. Have you experienced this before?

ii.                 Winding down with wine: It is not a bad idea to occasionally drink a glass of wine or two after work. It is however a bad idea and a bad habit to drink wine regularly (and to some people, Christmas is the perfect period to drink, drink and drink). For one, Alcohol lowers the body’s blood sugar level, stimulates appetite and makes you feel tired. So when you come back from that shindig drunk, it is natural for you to collapse on your bed and sleep. Do you also notice that you are very hungry when you wake up either to answer nature’s call or drink water?

iii.               Skipping breakfast: Though scientists, medical professionals and weight loss experts have been harping on this, many people still skip breakfast and Christmas is a good excuse to even skip more breakfasts. For one the long list of friends and relations you want to visit will make you skip breakfast giving you the impression that you will eat at your friend’s place or you will eat lunch. Again the season is known for its hustle and bustle. In joining in the hustle and bustle you are always tempted to say ‘food can wait’. But dear friend, when you skip that breakfast, you increase your sugar level and you stand the chance of over eating throughout the day.

iv.                Too tired to work out: The unending fun we have with our friends and family in many cases make us forget the basic things that we should do. After accumulating all the calories, there is need to work out. But in the morning when we ought to work out, we are in the bed battling hang over and in the evening again (when the opportunity to work out presents itself) we are either with a friend wining and dining or out partying.

It is not bad to indulge for a while. We are imperfect as humans. But while you indulge bear it in mind that that you must get back that your trendy sexy body or your six pack. Also bear it in mind that no one will do it for you except you. The third thing you should bear in mind is that if you don’t do it, it piles up for you. When it piles up, it is more difficult to handle.

Now that Christmas is still around the corner, here are tips that will help you come out break away from the old fashion.

a.      DO NOT SKIP BREAKFAST: On no account should you skip breakfast. Eating breakfast increases your chances of being healthier and smarter. When you eat breakfast you enhance how your body system works. It has been proven that those who eat breakfast are more intelligent and smarter than those who don’t. It has also been proven that those who skip breakfast lose vital nutrients. If for any reason you want to skip breakfast, drink water and eat fruits as a viable alternative.

b.      WATCH WHAT YOU EAT: Discipline yourself. Watch what you eat or drink. Measure it in portions. There are weighing scales that you can use to measure what you eat. If you can’t measure it with a scale, learn to take very small portions (In subsequent editions I will educate you on how to measure your meals). The smaller the better for you.

c.      WATCH WHAT YOU DRINK: The ground rule is drink water. Drink plenty of water. Substitute water for wine as much as possible. If you want to drink wine, take a small glass of wine. This will not hurt. If you want to over indulge, the basic rule is to ensure you eat well before drinking. Try as much as possible to reduce the alcohol content of the wine by adding ice cubes, ginger ale or lemon.

d.      EAT FRUITS: Eat plenty of fruits during this season instead of loading yourself with food. Resist the temptation of eating that delicious meal (that will add unnecessary fats into your body) and substitute it with a fruit based diet. Fruits are healthier and contain more nutrients that the body need to function well. So when that your friend asks you what you will eat, tell him or her to get a couple of apples or berries or African apples or any fruit that is available at that time for you.

e.      EXERCISE: The secret to being healthy and ensuring that your body functions efficiently is exercise. When you wake up, pray and do one or two exercise routines. Rather than allow your friend, family or loved one talk you out of doing your exercise routines talk them into joining you. You will make more progress if you have a partner who shares your dreams. Christmas will be more fun for you if you are healthier.

Now that you are still shopping for Christmas, it is appropriate that you equip yourself with things that will make the Christmas and New Year memorable for you.

This is wishing you a fun filled Christmas ahead.