Dealing with “Holiday Weight”

So, you lived a little [or A LOT]; put all them sweet somethings in your mouth without a care in the world during the holidays. And now you're regretting your unbridled gluttony during a time when you were actually supposed to practise restraint. We've all been there. Yes?

Well, all's not lost. Unless you now have diabetes. In which case, condolences. Here are some suggestions to help you during the next holiday.

Exercise
Yes. A suggestion as old as Father Time. But you know it works. Try to maintain your workout routine every week. Strength training, as well as cardio, is the best way to burn off those extra holiday calories and keep your metabolism geared up. If time is a factor, shoot for a session that includes 30 minutes of weight workouts and 30 minutes of cardio, three days a week.

If you have a stationery bicycle or treadmill at home, dust it off and put it in front of the television for some background entertainment while you're exercising.

Go for an evening walk/jog/run alone or with a friend. Have bad knees or other joints? Swimming is your answer then.

Nutrition
While you cannot control every situation, you can control how much food goes into your mouth. Even if you are constantly bombarded with desserts, it's completely up to you to not indulge in overeating.

During every meal, try not to go the traditional way that involves eating a bucket of simple carbs. No, I'm not saying rice/bread is THE ENEMY. What I'm saying is, try to avoid the 'White Devil' -- white rice, white flour, white sugar; they're nothing more than empty calories. You can get organic red rice and whole-wheat/mixed grain flour at supermarkets like Meena Bazar.

It's not the end of the world if you deviate every now and then and down that soft drink. But try to compensate for it later in the day by reducing your total caloric intake.
Eat more protein, vegetables, fruit and healthy fats like nuts.

A lot of times you feel forced to eat foods because people keep shoving it in front of you. Learn to say no politely: “No thank you, I've had enough. Everything was delicious.”