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Want To Save Calories? Watch What You DRINK!
If you are concerned about packing on that wicked 6 to 8 extra pounds this holiday season, you should be!
For every pound of body fat you gain now, it will take an average of 8-10 days of concentrated effort to shed each one of those pounds ? so a gain of 8 pounds can take up to 2 full months to drop. Ah...we're talking March 1st here. Don't go there, please!
A much better choice, of course, is to find a way to reduce your gain, or at least break-even on the scale come January 1st.
Beware of Liquid Calories - One simple way to do this is to pay close attention to what you are DRINKING. Too often, people put all their focus on what they are eating and they completely miss how many extra calories they're getting from the things they drink.
Healthy or Not - We're not just talking about alcohol here. All those iced coffee lattes and energy drinks and yummy smoothies--even some of those supposedly healthy meal replacement shakes like Muscle Milk, are typically loaded with tons of calories and fat. Throw in a few cups of egg nog and things can really get out of hand.
The Triple Threat - Let's look at alcohol for a minute, because when you drink alcohol it's not just the calories you need to worry about. Whether you drink "lite" or regular beer, wine or champagne, tequila shots or mixed drinks --whatever it is, alcohol is a triple threat to your waistline:
1) Alcohol slows down your metabolism so you are much more likely to store not only the calories from the alcohol itself, but from the food you eat along with it as well.
2) When you consume alcohol while you are eating, you?re all but guaranteed to eat 30% more food than you would if you weren?t drinking.
3) Alcohol increases your appetite, not just while you?re drinking, but up to 24 hours after you?ve had your last drink.
The Every-Other Game - One great way to reduce the amount of calories you drink when they are at a party or out with friends is to use what I call the every-other-rule. This simply means that before you order your first drink, you make a promise to yourself to consume a large calorie-free drink such as a large unsweetened ice-tea, diet soda or maybe plain water with lemon. From there you get to have whatever you like to drink - just make sure to alternate every alcoholic or caloric drink with another big glass of water, ice tea or diet soda ? you get the picture.
The Savings Add Up - For many of my clients, this simple rule can save them between 300-1000 calories in one evening! Best of all, this gives them the ability to enjoy the party and celebrate along with everyone else without feeling completely deprived. Not a bad deal all around (especially the next morning!)
So, throughout all of your holiday celebrations, watch what you drink, especially when it comes to alcohol, and try your best to alternate anything containing calories with an equal portion of plain water.
Best wishes to you, your family, and your friends. Have a happy, healthy and FUN holiday!
(Yes, you really can do both?)
Dianne Orwig is a success coach, motivational speaker, fitness trainer, and founder of LivingFit Online(TM), a fitness program that has helped thousands of men and women completely transform their bodies and live healthier, happier lives though her less-is-better approach.
For more information on how you can get better results in less time and with less effort than you ever thought possible, visit http://www.lovelivingfit.com.
(c) Copyright Dianne Orwig. All Rights Reserved Worldwide