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Health and holidays in the same sentence seems like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? There is a way to find balance though! You don’t have to put off your goals until January 1st, and the sooner you make the decision to make some changes, the better off your health and well-being will be.
Holiday parties are many people’s Achilles heel. Fabulous food, festive cocktails — hard to say no to all that deliciousness! Moderation is really key. You know you have a holiday party that evening? Eat light but filling meals that day (don’t starve yourself all day so that it’s a free-for-all at the party), and when you get to the party, take a small plate of what you want but don’t stay near the food! You’ll continue to pick at all the snacks and likely mindlessly eat even when you’re full.
And it goes without saying that after a few cocktails, you’re going to eat more than you intended, so proceed with caution! Alternate your adult beverages with water to stay hydrated and not overdo it with the alcohol.
So you’ve survived the holidays, now what about your goals for 2019?
Health and holidays in the same sentence seems like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? There is a way to find balance though! You don’t have to put off your goals until January 1st, and the sooner you make the decision to make some changes, the better off your health and well-being will be.
Holiday parties are many people’s Achilles heel. Fabulous food, festive cocktails — hard to say no to all that deliciousness! Moderation is really key. You know you have a holiday party that evening? Eat light but filling meals that day (don’t starve yourself all day so that it’s a free-for-all at the party), and when you get to the party, take a small plate of what you want but don’t stay near the food! You’ll continue to pick at all the snacks and likely mindlessly eat even when you’re full.
And it goes without saying that after a few cocktails, you’re going to eat more than you intended, so proceed with caution! Alternate your adult beverages with water to stay hydrated and not overdo it with the alcohol.healthy holidays
So you’ve survived the holidays, now what about your goals for 2019?
The biggest mistakes I see when people are making their New Year’s resolutions and working on “getting healthy” — which means different things to different people — are setting unattainable goals (I want to lose 150 pounds in the next 2 months!), and making dramatic changes that are unsustainable (throwing out all the junk food in the house and swearing off all fast food at the same time, or planning on hitting the gym every day).
Often, people’s health goals are weight-related. That can be a great motivator, especially at first, but most people’s weight-loss tapers off after the first few weeks, and it is easy to get discouraged.
Setting small goals — for example, when I lose 10 pounds, I am going to get a new pair of jeans, or have a spa day, etc. — can help keep you motivated but are also reasonable. Once you hit that goal, setting another to keep going can help the positive forward momentum.
Another thing to keep in mind is the scale really does lie at times, so taking some progress pictures and measurements can help show you the success you are having despite a possible stall on the scale.
If your goal is more diet-quality related, making small changes you can actually sustain is the best way to go. For example, if fast food is your vice, reducing the number of times a week you eat it from 3 to 2 then 2 to 1 can make a positive change in your health and lead to success, which motivates more change.
Hitting the gym, picking up running, or just getting outside for a walk is another great goal, and there are all kinds of awesome apps on smartphones to help people who are just starting out. Just remember, you truly can’t out-exercise a bad diet, so don’t expect to see dramatic changes in weight if you solely start exercising. Weight loss is about 80-90 percent diet and 10-20 percent exercise.
And get a partner to commit to making some changes too — having each other to inspire accountability can make all the difference in the world for your success!
Now go get those goals!
About Dr. Amanda Magrini
Amanda Magrini, MD, is a board-certified family medicine physician at Northern Nevada Medical Group’s Los Altos location in Sparks. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Nevada, Reno and her medical training at the University of Nevada School of Medicine. Dr. Magrini has practiced family medicine for seven years, including residency, and enjoys her specialty, because she likes taking care of the whole family, from newborns to grandparents. She likes preventative medicine, helping people take care of themselves and the relationships she is able to form with her patients. Dr. Magrini grew up in Sparks, NV and likes that it is a safe place to live with great educational opportunities and beautiful scenery. She thinks Northern Nevada is a great place to raise a family and looks forward to raising her own children here. In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, camping, boating, running and traveling the world. Dr. Magrini is also very close with her family; she is married to her high school sweetheart and values spending time with him and the rest of her family. Disclosure: “The author is a licensed physician practicing with Northern Nevada Medical Group, but all opinions expressed are solely the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Northern Nevada Medical Group or any other affiliates of Universal Health Services, Inc.”
