How Can Lawyers Avoid the Holiday Weight Gain?
The next few weeks are going to be hell for your health.
There's stress. Holidays can be stressful, especially if you have "that uncle" who is now unwelcome at family events, or if your arrangements are complicated by joint custody and a bitter ex-spouse. Plus you have clients who get holiday party DUIs, or have their own custody disputes. And year-end deadlines, and balancing case loads with family obligations.
And of course, there's the eating and drinking. Early Thanksgiving with friends. Two family Thanksgivings. Christmas. Holiday parties. Egg nog. New Year's. Holiday potluck at work. That bottle of rum snuck in under the Santa suit to make Christmas tolerable.
It's all going to add up -- and add to your waistline. Belly fat puts you at risk for death. Let's fix it, shall we?
Controlling Your Diet
It starts with your coworkers' leftover Halloween candy. Then the free Friday donuts. Add your sister's peanut butter fudge, holiday meals and celebrations, and the slippery slope of "just one" begins.
On the Harvard Business Review's blog, Dr. Heidi Halverson provides advice, based on research, for maintaining self-control around holiday treats and eats. Start by setting strict limits ("only two"). The slippery slope is a lot more slick when you say, "I'll have 'not too much.'"
She also advises substitution (drinking water each time you're tempted) rather than focusing on the fudge you just passed on, and when you do snack, savor the flavor slowly, rather than consuming the snack in a single bite.
Diet and Cheat
If you're going to binge on the holidays, why not practice self-restraint on the other six days of the week? From personal experience, the best tool for sticking to a diet is an app that logs your food choices, such as MyFitnessPal, which is so handy, that you can scan the barcodes of your food with your smartphone.
Log your food, stay within a reasonable calorie allowance on most days, and then have your "cheat days" on the holidays.
Getting Exercise
We know, it's your New Year's Resolution, right? It's never too early to get started, however. If you're merely looking to defend your current physique against the onslaught of turkey, hot toddys, and fruitcake, physical activities with your family and friends, such as bike rides, are going to be a lot more fun and easy to stick to than a gym membership.
But if you're looking to get a head start on your New Year's makeover, BodyBuilding.com has a ton of workout regimens, with videos, plans, and demonstrations on proper form and technique, all for free. And, despite the site's name, it's not just for those seeking Ahhhnold-like pump -- they have plans for trimming fat as well.
How do you plan on handling the holiday feasts, treats, and eats? Tweet us your tips @FindLawLP.
Related Resources:
- 4 Things to Remember for the Upcoming Holiday Season at Your Firm (FindLaw's Strategist)
- Top 3 Practical New Year's Resolutions for Lawyers (FindLaw's Strategist)
- How to Get New Clients at a Holiday Party Without Really Trying (FindLaw's Strategist)
