Santa’s Secret Weight Loss Tips

By Dr. Joey Shulman, Christian Post Contributor Wednesday, December 15, 2004

It’s that time of year again! Invitations for office parties, family get-togethers and toasting in the holiday season and the New Year all begin. With all this celebration in the air, most of us turn to food and drink as part of our festive indulgences. Champagne, cheese trays, eggnog and those little delicious Christmas cookies—who can resist these ever-present temptations?

Unfortunately, the holiday season is also the time people tend to pack on 5-10 extra pounds due to overeating, eating the wrong foods, alcohol consumption or lack of exercise. Instead of succumbing to weight gain this year, follow Santa’s secret weight loss tips below, which allow you to indulge, maintain and even lose weight this holiday season.

1. Make allowances for alcohol
Coolers, wine, beer, hard alcohol and champagne are all fairly high in calories. Consider the following:

• 1 bottle of Bacardi Breezer (275 ml) - 198 calories
• 1 glass or white wine (5 fl. Oz.) – 100 calories
• 1 beer (341 ml bottle) – 151 calories
• Rum (25 ml) and coke (125 ml) - 100 calories
• 1 glass of champagne (125 ml) – 95 calories

With the right information, it’s possible to indulge in moderate alcohol consumption (1-2 drinks) without gaining weight by making the necessary compensation. For example, try to alternate alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic beverages. For every glass of wine or beer you consume, follow it up with an equivalent amount of water. You can also try adding bubbly water or tonic to your glass of white wine to make it last longer. Lastly, do not use soda pop as a mixer for your drinks. Soda is loaded with sugar that will cause you to pack on even more excess calories.

Skipping meals to save calories for alcohol is not a great idea. In fact, alcohol drops blood sugar to a low level (a state called hypoglycemia) sending a signal to your brain for hunger. Instead of skipping meals, consume a meal that is higher in protein before or with your drink. Refer to the Truestar Metabolic Booster Plan for higher protein meals and snacks.

2. Make your baked goods with protein powder
Adding protein to your baked goods will lower the glycemic index rating of your muffin, cookie or brownie, and will trigger less insulin secretion. Less insulin secretion results in less fat storage! Not sure where to start? Why not tempt your company with delicious, high-fiber, high-protein banana chocolate chip muffins made from whole grain spelt flour.

To be mixed by hand:

• 2 cups of spelt flour
• 1 cup of soy or whey protein powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• ½ cup of soymilk
• ½ cup of dark semi-sweet chocolate chips

To be mixed in blender:

• 2 eggs
• 3 mashed up ripe bananas
• ½ cup of butter
• ½ cup of brown cane sugar
• 1 tsp. of vanilla

Add the two mixes together and place into muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes and enjoy!

3. Eat a small meal before your party
To avoid a party “pig out,” do not arrive at your celebratory event with an empty stomach. The temptation to overindulge at the buffet line or on tasty appetizers will be too difficult to avoid. Instead, make sure to eat a small protein filled meal prior to going out to your party to fill you up and to prevent an unwanted food binge. Not sure which types of proteins to have? Stock your cupboards and fridge with the following sources of lean proteins:

• Omega-3 eggs
• Egg whites
• Protein powder
• Lowfat dairy products (yogurt, cottage cheese)
• Soymilk, imitation soy meats or cheese, tofu, miso, veggie burgers
• Fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, halibut, sole, etc.)
• Chicken breast, slices, ground chicken
• Turkey (slices, turkey bacon, turkey breast, ground turkey)
• Lean ground beef and lean cut meats

Although skipping meals prior to a party in the attempt to save calories may seem like it works in theory, it actually does not. Skipping meals slows down metabolic function and makes you hungrier later in the day.

4. Keep to your exercise routine!
If you’re going to indulge in mince pies, chocolates and warm croissant rolls at the occasional holiday celebration, it’s even more important to stay consistent with your exercise routine. It takes 3500 extra calories per week to gain one pound. Eat an excess of 500 calories per day (i.e. two thin slices of pie) over the holiday season, and you’ll gain one pound in one week. Eat an excess of 1000 calories per day and you will gain two pounds.

In order to monitor and reduce your caloric intake there are two choices: 1) eat less, 2) exercise more. The key is to create a balance of both options. To update and refresh your current exercise routine over the holiday season, visit the Truestar Exercise section and design a personalized exercise plan just for you!

In addition to nutrition and exercise, Truestar offers a safe and effective weight loss formulation called TrueLEAN to help boost metabolic function and burn excess fat. To learn more, click here.

Take home point
The holiday season is a wonderful time to connect with friends and family and there’s no denying that food and alcohol is a part of that celebration. By understanding and following the tips outlined above, you will enjoy health and avoid weight gain this holiday season. Happy holidays from all of us at Truestar Health!