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PROVO — You've heard the sports phrase, "The best defense is a good offense." It also applies to our diet and exercise.
And having a plan to get you through the holidays is critical. We've got some tips and tricks to keep you on track.
"During the holidays it's really hard for me, especially around Halloween there's candy all over the place," Melissa Butler said. But Butler wants to stay on track during the holidays.
In the last two years, she has lost 45 pounds participating in three Intermountain Healthcare 100-day heart challenges. She has devised a realistic plan.
"For my personality type, if I totally try to go extreme and say 'I am going to lose weight during Christmas. I'm not going to eat any sugar,' then I end up failing and just going crazy," Butler said.
She's prepared to actually gain just a few pounds, but not the normal 5 to 10 pounds, and she's keeping exercise on the calendar.
"I found that I like strength training," Butler said.
She's also opting for smaller portions on smaller plates. "Often times when we fill up either of these two plates we overfill them and we're having more calories than we really want," said Intermountain Healthcare Dietitian Ann-Marie Shirley.
Messing up one time, it's not really messing up.
–Ann-Marie Shirley, dietitian
She said the key is really knowing yourself. "Before a party, are you going to be able to have some self-control? If you can, that's great! Go to the party and have a great time. If not, maybe eat before," Shirley said.
Shirley also suggests offering to bring a healthy dish and make it fun.
"Healthy eating doesn't have to be boring. Spice it up with different spices you've never used before or add lots of vegetables to make it bright and colorful and enticing," she said.
And if you do fall off the healthy wagon, Shirley suggests giving yourself a break.
"You say that was great, but I probably shouldn't do that every day, cause all foods can fit into a healthy diet. Messing up one time, it's not really messing up," she said.
