Tips For NOT Overeating

Well folks it's that time of year again, the Thanksgiving feast will be served in three days. During this festive time of year many of us have a tendency to overeat...not only on Thanksgiving, but until the New Year has begun and we decide to re-evaluate our goals and our health. I have found 7 tips that I feel will be very useful during the holidays. I'm not saying we shouldn't enjoy and indulge a little, but my hope is that these tips will be good reminders to you through-out this season so we aren't continually feeling like we are bursting at the seams.

1) Most people tend to eat when they are bored.
Keep yourself pre-occupied between meals. Play games with friends and family, read a book, watch a movie, go for a walk (yes, even if there is snow on the ground. the fresh air will do you good) go sledding, etc. The list could go on, the point is, have a plan and stick to it!

2) Many eat much snack when they are stressed out.
Again, a 10-minute walk outside will help you to relax. A hot bath at the end of the day is always a great way to relax.

3) Socializing makes you eat more than you should.
At parties you will be offered many delicious foods, making it hard to control yourself to reasonable portions. What you can do is to eat a piece of fruit before you go out so your stomach feels less empty. Also, start with small portions, you can always go back for more and you will be surprised how quickly you get full.

4) Do not eat too fast.
Eat slowly. Sip water between bites. Chew thoroughly before swallowing.

5) Eat satisfying foods. Stay away from foods that give you a lot of calories for very little volume, such as soda drink and chocolate. The higher the fiber, protein, and water content of a food, the more likely it is to be satisfying in your stomach. Avoid eating lots of processed foods.

6) Use a smaller plate. When you looks at the small plate, your brain will tell you the portion is adequate.

7) Don’t eat while watching TV. You are looking at TV and not on your food. So, you tend to overeat even if you are already full.

***One more tip we don't really think about...GET ENOUGH SLEEP!! When you aren't getting enough sleep your body will be lacking energy, to compensate you will eat more. Your body needs to get energy from somewhere, if you aren't willing to sleep then your body will make you want to eat so that it can perform the daily tasks you require of it.

It's your turn to talk...

Have you ever had a ‘bad’ weekend as far as being healthy goes? Maybe you didn’t get your workout in or you ate your sugar intake for the month in one day…that was my about how my weekend went.

For me, having a bad day or a bad couple days has its benefits. It pushes me to really kick it into gear the next few weeks. I guess I can say I’m lucky that way, that falling below the line I like to meet daily pushes me to recommit and make new goals for myself immediately.

I know for most people when workouts are missed and diet plans goes down the drain it, more often than not, tends to turn into a snowball effect of bad events. One bad day leads to two, and then three and then before you know it it’s been three weeks and you may or may not be aware of how long it has been since you hit up the gym.

So this post is for the readers, what do you do to come back from a rough couple of days or weeks? Is it hard? Is it easy? Do you have a good friend or workout buddy that holds you accountable for the choices you make when it comes to exercise and eating good? Maybe it’s nothing that you even think about. SO tell me your story, this week I want to hear from you. Share your tips, because come on….who doesn’t like good advice?

Stability Ball Exercises

A good way to mix up you work outs is to incorporate a stability ball into your strength training. You might be doing bench press with weights while your neck and head rest on the ball, but at the same time you are engaging your core and getting a killer ab work out as well. There are many different exercises that can be done with a stability ball, but to get you started we will go over 4 different moves that I use frequently.

***Note-stability balls are for those who are more advanced and ready for a challenge. If you are just getting in to exercise I would recommend starting with more basic strength skills and working up adding a stability ball.

1. "Ball Pass"
This is a great exercise to work deep into your abs without even realizing you are doing so.

• Lie on your back holding an exercise ball and lift your feet so your shins are parallel to the floor.
• Lift your head, neck, and shoulders, and place the ball between your legs.
• Now lower your legs and reach your arms back.
• Come back up and grab the ball.
• Continue to pass the ball back and forth from your hands to your legs 10 to 12 times.

2."Stability Ball Hyperextension"
This is a great exercise to work the lower back muscles.

1. Lie on the belly on a stability ball. Position the legs straight in back with the toes touching the ground,and place the hands behind the head with the head down.
2. Raise the upper body off the ball and slowly return. If you are a beginner, your range of motion may be smaller than if you are more advanced.
3. To make this exercise more difficult, hold a weight plate behind the head.

3. "Stability Ball Sit-Ups"
Want to mix up your everyday sit-up routine? Try using a ball to make things just a bit harder. You can do side to side sit-ups and front sit-ups to start with.


4. "Stability Ball Bench Press"
Allow your upper back, neck and head to rest on the ball. You can use dumbbells or a bench press bar to perform this exercise. The less weight you use the easier the exercise becomes.

Hold the weights above your chest, elbows at a 90 degree angle. Push straight up and slowly come back down to starting position. Be careful not to let your arms go deeper than a 90 degree angle.