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CYB HOLIDAY / VACATION SURVIVAL GUIDE
It is reported that the average American experiences a 7-pound weight gain between Thanksgiving and New Year's, then
spends the next several weeks trying to lose as much of the excess as possible. Most would agree that it is better to prevent
unwanted weight gain than to remedy the situation later. But how can you enjoy the holidays or even a vacation without
ending up as a statistic? It can be done with some planning, a little dose of old-fashioned discipline and some tricks of the
trade. Note the following 10 Holiday/Vacation Survival Strategies.
1. EXPECT TO STAY ON YOUR CYB LIFESTYLE OVER THE HOLIDAYS/VACATIONS
"Fail to plan and you plan to fail" may be a cliché statement but very applicable. Most people consciously plan to fail over
the holidays/vacations. They expect to eat more, to exercise less and to gain weight. Instead of taking control, they resign
themselves to maintenance at best, or back-sliding at worst. This negative expectancy leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Let‟s change that philosophy.
You can avoid this trap by planning to succeed during the holidays/vacations. Set up a positive expectation. Resolve now
that you will not tolerate slipping backwards. Keep your standards up and don't settle! Not only can you plan to stay in shape
over the holidays/vacations, you can plan to improve. Make the decision and expect success!
2. PLAN YOUR WORKOUTS IN ADVANCE
This is not the time to stop exercising. In reality at this time, it‟s more important to maintain your exercise schedule almost
daily and even increase it if necessary due to the increased calories during the holidays/vacations. Even if you‟re away on
vacation, you can find the time, the facility or the means to move your body whether it‟s inside a gym or on a beautiful sandy
beach with turquoise waters. During the holidays, you know your schedule is going to get hectic. You'll be cooking,
shopping, wrapping gifts, sending cards, going to parties, traveling, visiting family, and so on. To stay on your exercise and
nutrition regimen is definitely going to require some sound time management skills.
Plan your schedule in advance. Anticipate what's coming up. Put it on your calendar – use an appointment book, monthly
calendar, electronic device and “make appointments” for all your workouts weekly. Then, post a copy or set alarms where
you will be forced to look at it every day. This is a powerful step that will keep you focused and force you to think about and
prepare for each upcoming workout. By doing so, you won't be caught unprepared.
If you try to "wing it" and squeeze in your workouts whenever you have time left over, you'll find that there is never any time
left over! Somehow your daily activities always seem to expand to fill the hours in every day. So schedule your workouts in
your calendar just like you would any other appointment or event. Once you've done that, stick to your schedule.
3. MAINTAIN YOUR CONSISTENT EATING SCHEDULE
If there's one thing that all people who successfully get lean and stay lean have in common, it is consistency. Without it, you
never get any momentum going. It's like taking two steps forward, only to take three steps back. Many people allow the busy
holidays to throw them off their regular eating schedule. They completely veer off their usual meal frequency (forgetting to
eat every 2 ½ - 3 ½ hours just because they got too busy) or they start eating foods they wouldn‟t normally eat simply
because “it‟s there.” This is especially true on vacations.
Once you have a habit or pattern going, it's fairly easy to keep it going. But once you lose momentum, it's very difficult to get
it going again because you must overcome apathy and inactivity all over again. “An object at rest tends to stay at rest.”
Solution: Don‟t stop. Don‟t stop your improved CYB habits. Remember the basic tenets of the lifestyle: eat every 2 1/2-3
1/2 hours – combine proper ratio of quality carb/protein/fat – limit/eliminate carbs after 6 pm.
In addition, when there's a special dinner scheduled or eating out on vacation, many people think that skipping their morning
and afternoon meals to "save room" for the big one later is a good idea. It's not. This is actually a good way to invite a binge
that could set you back for days. All you have to do is count your holiday dinners or restaurant meals as one of your regular
meals. Watch portion sizes, do your best to choose healthy options and limit or eliminate carbs after 6pm unless you‟ve
decided it‟s your Reward Meal.
4. CONTROL YOUR PORTION SIZES AND YOU’LL CREATE A CALORIE DEFICIT
“You can have your cake and eat it too” - you just can't eat the whole thing! One of the most important rules to remember
during holidays/vacations is the law of energy balance, which simply stated: To lose body fat, you must consume fewer
calories than you burn up each day.
There are two consequences to the law of energy balance:
1. A caloric surplus gets stored as fat - even if it‟s healthy food choices.
2. Occasional small amounts of not so healthy choices - will NOT get stored as fat if you stay in a calorie deficit.
There's no reason to deprive yourself of things you enjoy. Just make sure you don't overindulge. As long as you enjoy your
favorite foods in moderation and you keep working out, it won't end up around your waistline. If you feel you overdid it with
food and/or alcohol, immediately pull back the reins and that same week increase your exercise program by applying the
F.I.T.T. Principle (frequency, intensity, type, time) to help create that calorie deficit. (See Program Design Recommendation
Handout.)
We can always discuss privately how many daily calories are necessary for you personally to create that caloric deficit based
on your basal metabolic rate. Everyone is slightly different in their caloric needs due to age, height, weight and activity level.
This is also the next step if one hits a plateau prior to hitting their goal weight.
5. MAKE THE BEST CHOICES POSSIBLE IN EVERY SITUATION
You know those tables you see at holiday parties or on cruise ships that are covered with yards of chips, dips, pretzels,
cookies, salami, candies, punch, liquor, and a seemingly endless assortment of other goodies? Well, did you also notice that
there is usually a tray full of carrot sticks, cauliflower, celery and other healthy snacks too?
No matter where you are, you always have choices. Don‟t be afraid to be different. Different is good and it builds your selfesteem and confidence. Sometimes you have to choose between bad and worse. Other times you can choose between good
and better. But always make the best choice possible based on whatever your options are. Choose less fattening entrees such
as broiled fish or baked chicken. Select healthier soups and salads and consider light salad dressings or just olive oil and
balsamic vinegar. Use butter and full-fat cheese sparingly and request your meals without gravies or rich sauces. If nothing
else, you can choose to eat a small portion of something "bad" rather than a huge portion, thereby obeying the law of calorie
balance. You know what this is called… “BBC (Better Bad Choice).” It‟s alright; let go the guilt and make the best decision
you know how with the knowledge and experience you‟ve gained.
Chances are good that there's probably something healthy on the menu or table at every holiday gathering or vacation
restaurant. Think low-calorie and high fiber – it will fill you up and you‟ll be less likely to overdo it later. Before a meal,
fill up on salad: leafy, dark green, crisp lettuces with non-starchy veggies. Studies have proven that people who ate a large
hearty salad (without the croutons, bacon, full-fat cheese and full-fat dressing), consumed 12% fewer calories of their main
course. Lean proteins and fibrous carbs are the way to get lean, so fill up on the turkey breast or fish, have multiple
vegetables, and go easy on the desserts – unless again, you‟ve decided it‟s your Reward Meal. Then enjoy your Reward
Meal without the guilt; however within reason.
6. CONTINUE TO SCHEDULE YOUR REWARD MEALS WEEKLY
A planned REWARD MEAL will help you stay on your lifestyle program in the long run even through the holidays or while
on vacation. If you're too strict all the time, you're setting yourself up for cravings and binge eating.
Over the holidays, schedule your dinners and parties so they become your Reward Meal. Then, for the rest of your meals and
snacks – “be steadfast!” Just the fact that you know you have a Reward Meal coming up will relieve some of the pressure of
the party invites. If you have multiple party invites within the same week, choose wisely – choose judiciously which one you
want to devote to your Reward Meal and opt to eat fairly clean on the less tempting invites.
A “trick of the trade” is to allow two (2) mini Reward Meals during the same week due to multiple invites. This also applies
to vacations, having (2) mini Reward Meals is fine as long as you balance the weekly caloric load. Another “trick of the
trade” is the following: For the night of your Reward Meal, go easy on carbs that day. In other words, no processed carbs at
all during the day and even skip the carb at breakfast and lunch and stick with lean proteins and vegetables. This is sound
advice for the day of your Reward Meal (a/k/a holiday party/vacation restaurant meal). Why does this work? Because you‟re
creating a caloric deficit - see above #4. This strategy is only to be applied on days designated with a Reward Meal. On
other days, remember carbs are your friend; don‟t exclude during the day. They are necessary sources of energy to keep your
engine running.
Another “trick of the trade” is to incorporate fiber within your Reward Meal. Fiber is a great weight-loss aid. Studies have
found that the people who successfully lose and manage their weight eat about 35 to 45 grams of fiber a day. Dietary fiber
isn‟t digested by your body; it passes virtually unchanged through your stomach and small intestine and into your colon.
Fiber not only provides a sense of fullness so you‟ll eat less – limiting the intake of fat and cholesterol, it also regulates the
speed at which your body processes sugars slowing down the absorption of glucose from the digestive tract into the
bloodstream.
So if you‟d like to enjoy bread during your Reward Meal, reach for the darkest piece with visible grains or seeds, which
usually signal it has more fiber than white bread. Also, regarding potatoes, they are a great fiber choice. Of course, not all
spuds are created equal. During the day, go for the baked potato, not the twice deep-fried french fries dipped in cheese.
Hey, but if it‟s your Reward Meal, it‟s your call.
Therefore, if you‟re enjoying your Reward Meal or extra holiday/vacation goodies in moderation, be sure to include the fiber.
You can make some seemingly bad choices actually better choices simply by upping the nutritional value by adding fiber.
Good fiber options are fruits (especially berries), vegetables, beans, whole grains, seeds and nuts.
Even while on vacation, schedule your Reward Meal during your week and then within the other meals/snacks eat as cleanly
as possible within the confines of the pie chart so that very little negative impact will be made. Besides at this point, due to
your clean eating, you know how lousy “the day after” a Reward Meal feels. I‟m sure you don‟t want to experience multiple
rough mornings – especially – on the beach! Use discretion. Err on the side of clean eating because consuming one Reward
Meal a week yields phenomenal results versus multiple sessions.
7. IF YOU FALL OFF THE HORSE, GET RIGHT BACK ON IT
So you ate about half a dozen too many of those Christmas cookies did you? Drank too much? Devoured chocolate covered
something in a tin? Too many carbs? Too much taste testing going on? Don't worry; because you have a Reward Meal built
in. Just be sure to avoid any more „rewards‟ until the following week to balance your caloric load. You shouldn't let guilt
immobilize you. Even if you fall completely off the wagon, don't beat yourself up. Setbacks do occur. All you have to do is
“get right back on the horse” without missing another beat. Drink lots of water to help you detox and your very next
meal/snack needs to be “clean as a whistle.” Don‟t skip meals in an effort to try and burn the fat. That‟s not going to
happen. You know at this point, that in reality this will only slow down your metabolism.
Too many people feel they mess up once and then think their entire day is ruined. They feel as if everything they've done
prior to that day was wasted and there's no sense going on. Or even worse, they rationalize to themselves, "Well, I already
cheated, so it doesn't matter now, I might as well keep pigging out."
Nah, that's nonsense. Just because you fell down in the middle of climbing a hill, it doesn‟t mean you need to roll down all
the way to the bottom and start your climb all over again. No! You pick up exactly where you fell in the middle of the hill
and continue upward. You're only human. Don't let one small slip keep you derailed. Quickly “pick yourself up by your
bootstraps” and keep trekking! (See Setback Support handout for additional encouragement.)
8. DON'T BUY INTO THE LOW STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS OF OTHERS
Ah the saboteurs! Got to love „em. Keep your standards high, but don't expect other people's standards to be as high as yours.
Remember that most people have already planned in advance to fail at their nutrition and fitness over the holidays/vacations.
You've decided to stay strong haven't you? Don't let their negative influence drag you down.
For example, when you've reached your pre-ordained drink limit, say "That‟s it!" and switch to water or a non-alcoholic, noncaloric beverage. When they offer you seconds on dessert, politely say, "No thank you, it was absolutely delicious, but I'm
full, I can't eat another bite." And when the wee hours of the morning start to roll around, and your friends are egging you on
to keep partying, politely tell them you need your “beauty sleep.” Staying longer at parties usually leads to greater food
consumption and unnecessary calories. Participate in the fun, but be one of the first to call it a night. If they're really your
friends, they'll understand.
Speaking of sleep: Sleep deprivation, or getting fewer than seven hours a night over several nights, is often linked to craving
sweet or fattening foods. It also causes a spike in cortisol, a stress and appetite-inducing hormone. Adding a few more z's,
however, has recently been linked to weight loss, sleep at least seven and a half hours a night, curtail caffeine after 2:30 P.M.,
and try not to drink alcohol within three hours of bedtime.
Use “the power of your voice” and filter those requests from family, friends and co-workers through your 4-part filter
question: “Does the request/decision/choice benefit „ME‟… physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually?” If the answer is
NO, the answer is clear. NO – and you‟ll feel empowered in the morning!
9. IF YOU DRINK, ENJOY ALCOHOL IN MODERATION
If you enjoy having a few drinks on special occasions such as the holidays/vacations, then go ahead and have a drink or two.
But if you're serious about your fitness goals, then drink infrequently and in moderation. Alcohol puts fat oxidation on hold
while providing a large amount of calories. When there's alcohol in your bloodstream, you're not in a fat burning mode. Fat
burning stops due to the fact that the body must burn off the alcohol first because alcohol cannot be stored in the body.
Alcohol can also stimulate appetite and dulls our senses and can lead to mindless eating. Our food choices aren‟t as healthy
as they could be creating a greater chance of consuming more calories than necessary.
The alcohol impact goes beyond added body fat; your energy levels and exercise can be affected for days after a night of
heavy drinking. A glass of wine may have limited health benefits, but there's never any reason or excuse for binge drinking or
getting drunk.
Here are some social drinking tips:
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Have a few glasses of water before you go out.
If having cocktails, eat something with your drink versus drinking without food. If having a meal, drink with your
meal versus before your meal. The results in both cases: the protein and/or healthy fat will prevent a rapid rise in
blood sugar and prevent an inflammatory affect throughout the body.
Drinking on an empty stomach also lessens your resolve to drink sensibly.
Have a non-alcoholic "spacer" between drinks – water, diet soda, seltzer, diet iced tea, etc.
Plan how much you are going to drink before you go out and stop when you've reached your limit.
Drinking hard liquor causes inflammatory problems in the body. Choose wine instead since in moderation, wine can
provide some important antioxidants called polyphenols to help protect the body. But again, in moderation.
Beware of tonic water. It has the same number of calories as a regular Coke. If you usually have a drink with tonic,
ask for diet tonic or make another choice.
Try a wine spritzer – mix white wine with mineral water or seltzer.
Drink slowly. Chugging or drinking fast is the major cause of illness and death from alcohol poisoning.
Avoid cream-based cocktails.
Do not drive, swim, or operate machinery while under the influence.
Have one or two glasses of water before you go to bed.
So go ahead and enjoy your few drinks during the holidays/vacations, but know when to say “That‟s it!”
10. WATER, WATER AND MORE WATER
Lastly, this suggestion should be followed all year round not just during the holidays or while on vacation. Drink water
frequently throughout the day. Our bodies consist mostly of water, and it is unquestionably our most essential nutrient. And
here‟s an important point regarding carving your body – water is needed for fat burning, maintenance of muscle mass and
boosting your overall metabolism. When you‟re dehydrated, even slightly, your metabolism drops. “Essentially, weight loss
potential is reduced.” Understanding that alone would probably drive people to drink more water.
If tolerable, drinking cold water serves as a mild appetite suppressant and burns calories to warm it up to body temperature.
Drinking water especially when you eat a high-fiber diet, makes you feel satiated and aids overall digestion. If you don‟t like
the constant taste of water, add an Emergen-C packet or the tiniest amount of juice (careful there) or other low-calorie
supplemental powder. You can also include herb teas and even green tea or oolong tea in your daily consumption. Green or
oolong tea contains high levels of polyphenols – powerful antioxidants that destroy free radicals. Free radicals are linked to a
whole list of chronic diseases. In addition, small studies have shown that both green tea and oolong tea can slightly increase
metabolism.
Keep in mind, water sources do not include coffee/regular tea/soda (which should limited anyway). But you can include
milk, herbal tea, soups, or even fruits and vegetables that have a high water content like watermelon, strawberries, broccoli,
lettuce and tomatoes.
In conclusion, “forewarned is forearmed.” There's no reason to let your CYB lifestyle spoil your holidays or your vacation,
but there's also no reason to let your holidays or vacations spoil your CYB lifestyle! Put these 10 Holiday/Vacation Survival
Strategies into practice – don‟t be an American statistic – and you can continue losing fat today, not next year or before your
next vacation. “It‟s a way of life!”
GOOD HEALTH TO YOU!
Bessie Neshan