What if I Gained Weight Over The Holidays?!
Did you gain a little weight over the holidays?
I'm hearing a common post-holiday refrain this month: “hope it still fits, I may have gained a bit”. Sheepish grin.
We reassure our guys that it’s just clothing, it can be altered! So stop worrying about that holiday extension and remember, every suit (and jacket, shirt, pant etc) you buy has a 2 year alteration promise: If you gain or lose up to an inch (or whatever the seam allows) we will alter it for you for free for 2 years.
What About New Clothes?!
I've also heard a lot of clients saying they are holding back on a new shirt, suit, or pair of pants because they feel bad about the weight they put on and want to wait until they lose it. But that's no reason to stop feeling good about the way you dress!
I mean, what are you going to do, hang out in sweat pants until the groundhog appears? HELLS TO THE NO!!
Our motto is: Fit for today, not future you. The small investment in something nice will make you feel good about how you look, with or without those lingering "10 lbs".
Our activity decreases in the winter. It’s natural...most of us are not rocking "summer bods" all year long. So accept this as common and buy some clothes that feel comfortable for Winter You. Winter You is already deprived of sunshine, greenery, oxygen...why deprive him unnecessarily?!
Let’s talk about food.
It’s a misconception that we should eat high fat foods in deep winter while simultaneously decreasing our energy. We are not bears!! And PS, bears don’t actually eat all winter so unless you plan on losing 30% of your body weight you are not actually hibernating.
If we slow down for a "mini hibernation" then slow your food down too. Eat grains and pulses. I can’t underline how important it is for our planet to slow down the meat eating and increase our grains and pulses. What the heck is a pulse? Well, Canada is one of the worlds largest producers of pulses so get on it.
The fossil fuel it takes to produce a pound of beef is more than a 80 mile drive (go ahead and fact check me). So eating beef 3 Times a week has the same carbon footprint as someone who drives 240 miles a week. Pork, even more so. Is that motivation enough for you to turn to some Great Canadian Pulses?
You don’t want to be overloaded with recipes. What you want are 5 or 6 GREAT recipes that you love and crave.
Here are my top 5 "cut-down, stay-warm, eat-well, feel-full-during-winter” recipes:
YUM!! I can eat this all week long. Spice it up as hot as you can take it. If you are recovering from a cold double the turmeric.
If you crave something fatty and deep fried try these. We ate a whole plate of them on Monday. And I thought I’d made enough for 2 meals lol.
Red lentil Carrot-Ginger Soup I adapt this one to make it a little more hearty: Add 1/2 cup red lentils.
A staple all year round.
Stock!! Make it, drink it. Cook with it. This is not meat free but if you are going to eat meat then save the bones. You don’t need a recipe. All you need is are the bones, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, salt and pepper (whole pepper corns if you have) Throw everything into as much water as your pot allows and simmer for 6 to 8 Hours. If you want to get fancy, toss in more spices such as coriander seeds, a clove or two, rosemary, sage...whatever floats your boat. But don’t get overwhelmed. Do what you can. Reach for stock instead of chips.
Most importantly though: don't beat yourself up. Ups and downs are all part of life. Till next time!
