Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1065149
THE DREADED HOLIDAY season is over. What I mean by dreaded holiday season is — the overabunda nce of food a nd overindulging that leads to weight gain. One study shows that weight ga in around the holidays actua lly starts in October, right around Halloween, and continues straight through the New Year. Most of us enter the holidays with the attitude that we are going to indulge and eat anything we want, and our New Year's resolution will be to lose weight. Studies show that after the holidays the vast majority of people lose half the weight they gained during the holiday season, but the other half never comes off. Here a re some exa mples of ty pica l resolutions that most of us make. I offer some different perspectives/options that may help. + Lose 20 pounds. Set resolutions t hat work . L osi n g 20 pou nd s, for example, is a long-term goa l. Focus on sma ller goa ls. Maybe start with losing 5 pounds at a time, which can average to 1 to 1.5 pounds a week. + Try a fad diet. Fad diets don't work. They may produce short-term results, but not long-term ones. The diet is a fad for a reason. + Give up eating at restaurants. Why? You can go out, but make better choices. Mos t res t au ra nt s of fer hea lt h ier options with fewer calories. + Sig nif ica ntly restrict ca lories. Again, this is not a long-term solu- tion. Tr y eating less bad food a nd more healthy food. Nature will take its course. + Do a one- or two-week juice cleanse. No one can keep this commitment long term. Why not jump-start your weight loss with a one- or two-day cleanse? Most people will quit a juice cleanse after that time anyway. + Go vegan. You may not get enough protein in a vegan diet. Protein is an essential part of building muscle. The more muscle your body has, the more calories you burn. + Skip meals. This is a bad idea. Your body needs f uel to bu r n ca lor ies. Skipping meals will slow down your metabolism. Try eating five smaller meals per day, every three hours. Your body will run like a well-oiled machine. + Work out more. This is a great resolu- tion, but it is too loose of a goal. Be more specific. Make a schedule and stick to it. + Quit junk food. No you won't — not for long any way. Face it; we a ll love junk food now and again. My husband and I set a plan. One night a week we go out to dinner or have a "junk night" and one night a week we allow ourselves a dessert or special treat. Ma inta ining a hea lthy weight a nd your overall health is not easy. The world around us caters to our busy lives by put- ting all the unhealthy, fattening foods in our reach. I am challenged daily to stick to my plan and not give in to temptation. My husband always said to me when I was struggling with weight loss, "Joni, it is 'MAC' — moderation and consistency. Have the food you love in moderation and be consistent with your exercise. If you choose to work out only two days a week to start, that is great; but be consistent." My cha llenge to you is: Instead of looking at becoming a healthier you as a daunting task and dreading it, look at it as changing your lifestyle by applying the MAC principle. Make small changes and over time they will add up. As you become a healthier version of yourself and begin to see the results, you won't want to go back. Start living the MAC lifestyle now — look next holiday season right in the face and say, "Bring it." THE MAC PRINCIPLE: MODERATION AND CONSISTENCY IN EATING AND EXERCISE Too little and sporadic isn't beneficial in exercise. Too hardcore and extreme will not be adhered to for any length of time and will result in burnout, injuries or both. Steady, consistent, moderate exercise can be maintained by most everyone. If an event or occasion arises when you must go harder for a short period of time, do so and then return to your baseline. During holiday or vacation times, if you want to relax your routine a bit, do so and enjoy life — then return to your baseline. The same concept applies to eating. Extremes in either direction aren't manageable, enjoyable or healthy long term. Joni Walton is the owner of Danlee Medical Products and Walton's Total Fitness. Walton holds certifications in Group Fitness and Spin. To learn more about Danlee Medical, call 800-433-7797 or visit danleemedical.com. For more infor- mation regarding Walton's Total Fitness, you can contact Walton at 315-430-3655 or joni@danleemedical.com. n THE "MAC" PRINCIPLE BY JONI WALTON 2 0 2 0❱❱❱❱❱ H E A lT H C O N N E C T I O N S