Now that the holidays are over there are a few things that we all received during this season. For starters we all received a present or two or three that wasn’t exactly our favorite. In fact it was down right offensive.
However, we also received something that the average American gains, and that’s about 5lbs of fat. But let’s be honest here, we’re all men, most of us would tend to gain anywhere from 7-10lbs of fat by the time the New Year rolls around.

Now that we’ve established that we’re a bunch of gluttons over the holidays, let’s talk about how we can start losing this winter fat and become a healthier person by springtime.

I’m not a doctor or any nutritional expert, but I am just like you, a guy that’s gained a few…ok about 10lbs of fat over holidays. I do not claim to have all the answers and I would also recommend that you talk to your doctor before starting a weight loss program…no, no make it a healthier lifestyle.

The first thing we should do is, STOP EATING! Just because a relative gave you a big tin of flavored popcorn for Christmas, you don’t necessarily have to finish the entire can. Leave it alone, better yet, throw it away, you don’t really need it.

Another recommendation I would make is to become a Vegan a couple days a week. Eating all veggies for one day will not only make you feel better about yourself, but there’s tons of cancer fighting anti-oxidants and other nutrients that you don’t get in a chicken nugget.

Reduce your intake of fast foods as well as other junk foods. Consuming high calorie lunches/dinners and snacks will not only pack on the pounds but it will also raise your cholesterol levels and can slow you down when you’re riding because of all the fat and grease that are in the foods.

Substitute a Big Mac Value Meal with a home made turkey sandwich, carrots and water for your lunch. You’ll save an average of $6-11 a day from not eating out. You’ll also have time during your lunch to go for a little walk or read a good book since you’re not stuck at the drive-thru window for 20 minutes.

Drink more water, on an average you should be drinking at least 10 glasses of water to keep you hydrated. Drinking water will also help your skin look healthier and it will cleanse your system out. Water will also keep you feeling full for a longer period of time. Keep drinking until your pee is clear. The further away your pee is from the color of Mtn. Dew, the better.

Instead of coffee and soda, try drinking hot or cold teas. If you really need a refreshing drink, have some homemade iced tea. In the morning if you’re a coffee drinker like me, try some Black or Green Tea. Try this out. You’ll be surprised how much money you actually save by drinking tea that is brewed from home or in the office. A Grande Caramel Frappuccino from Starbucks is about $3.70 and has 430 calories, 16 grams of fat, 61 grams of carbs, 52 grams of sugars and 6 grams of protein. If you had a bad habit of buying a Frappuccino once a day, you’re going to save at least $25.90 per week plus the cost of gas to go there. That’s also a savings of 3010 calories per week! Typically of you reduce your caloric intake by 300-500 calories per day you’ll see a big improvement on your weight loss progress.

Teas have great properties in them that may even help slow the breakdown of simple carbohydrates. I would recommend drinking tea with your meals. It will also aid in the digestion of the food. The less stimulants like caffeine and high sugar drinks like soda you have in your body the lower your stress levels will be.

My next recommendation is, start riding more. Get out and ride. If you’re lucky to live in an area that has ride friendly conditions most of the year, get some miles in. Riding, as we all know does some great things for our heart, muscles and mental health.

I wouldn’t stop there; start lifting some weights. With the added training with weights, you can drastically increase your potential to lose the extra pounds you gained. In fact, if you combine riding and weight training your body will produce more testosterone and make your body a muscle-building machine. The best part about training is you can tell your significant other that you are going to work out, but in reality you’re hitting the trails.

If you didn’t know, an increase of testosterone will dramatically affect the rate that your body grows. Just look at any body builder that has taken steroids, they’re huge! I’m not claiming that riding and working out with weights will make you become the next Arnold Schwarzenegger, but this combination of training will at least make you look and feel great.

My final recommendation is supplementation. Start popping in those Flintstone vitamins everyday. Ok, it doesn’t have to be Flintstones…unless you really like them. But your supplements need to be a good set of multi-vitamins that has some high levels of vitamins and minerals. Protein powders, meal replacement shakes and bars are a great source of clean healthy food. Check out a good nutrition store that carries a variety of supplements; don’t be afraid to ask the clerk questions.

In conclusion, we’ve talked about lowering our caloric intake, substituting fast foods with home made lunches, the importance of water, drinking tea, and finally exercising and supplementation. All of my recommendations have worked for me in the past and I am currently using these useful steps in my pursuit of a healthier lifestyle. My recommendations may or may not work for everyone so the best thing to do is check with your doctor for the best program.

I did forget to mention a few more things. Don’t stress about every little detail about losing weight, enjoy your life, ride, exercise and eat well then you will see some results within the next few weeks. Out of all of my recommendations, I think the most important is to have fun.

Reference:

A Prospective Study of Holiday Weight Gain
Jack A. Yanovski, M.D., Ph.D., Susan Z. Yanovski, M.D., Kara N. Sovik, B.S., Tuc T. Nguyen, M.S., Patrick M. O’Neil, Ph.D., and Nancy G. Sebring, M.Ed., R.D.
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Excercise - How It Affects Mood
Melina
Date: Oct. 29th, 2002
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Eight Hormones and Exercise
Greg Landry, M.S. 2002 by
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Caramel Frappuccino® Blended Coffee, A proprietary blend including coffee and milk, blended with ice and real caramel.
Link