(ARA) - Holiday music is playing. Laughter fills
the room. Your waistband tightens, and you’re still in the foyer by the
lighted tree. The host ushers you in and your eyes zero in on the buffet.
It’s the table you hate to love -- filled with cheese blintzes, shortbread,
glazed nuts and crab puffs. Then you spot the deadliest of all -- fudge. The
pep talk you gave yourself an hour earlier turns into gibberish, and you head
straight for the fudge and drill into it like a rivet.
Take heart. You can prepare for the holiday temptation and train for the
buffet marathon before you start the race. What’s more, you can reach the
finish line without paying by the pound at the end.
The first rule of thumb is never go to a party on an empty stomach thinking
the cocktail buffet is your meal for the day. This can make you succumb to the
entire spread.
Despite what many think, making a meal out
of party food can leave you feeling as empty as when you arrived. That’s
because party food is no substitute for good nutrition. It is a quick
fix akin to lighting a sparkler. The flash gives instant gratification,
but there is no fuel to sustain the afterglow.
So, don’t deprive yourself all day to make a withdrawal from the calorie
bank at night. Starving yourself slows your metabolism, causing you to
store fat, not lose it.
Instead, replace a meal or two with an all-natural high quality protein
drink, such as Almased, a multi-protein powder that, when mixed with
liquid, makes a tasty shake. The protein enters your blood stream
quickly, stopping that hungry feeling and giving you the energy you need
to hit the party circuit and the dance floor, too.
The unique protein blend of soy and skim milk yogurt powder fermented
with raw honey enzymes can keep your hunger alarm from sounding off and
sending you unarmed into to the battle of the bulge.
Studies show the average person gains nearly one pound during each
holiday season. That’s the good news. It’s a little less than a pound,
not the five pounds people think they gain around the holidays. The bad
news is that weight stays on, so it’s a pound this year, a pound next
year, and another pound the next year . . . until you’re 10 or 20 pounds
heavier.
So think of Almased as your ultimate holiday survival kit. Armed with
Almased and the following tips, you can still partake of the holiday
ritual, because you are less likely to gorge and pay the price on the
scales.
Slimming Strategies for the Holidays
* Exercise a few hours before going to a big meal or party. It will
boost your metabolism and your determination.
* Avoid alcohol or restrict your consumption by drinking a glass of
water between alcoholic drinks.
* Build an extra work out day into each week's exercise regimen during
the holidays.
* Scan the food tables and choose the lowest calorie options. Snack on
raw veggies, but watch out for creamy dips and avoid the eggnog!
* Wait until other people have demolished the buffet. It’s a lot less
tempting after it’s been picked over.
* Take your plate and sit down to eat. Think about what you’re eating
and try not to munch throughout the night.
* Always eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly. You’ll feel satisfied
sooner.
* Take a few days after big eating events to go on a nutritious,
low-calorie diet. Substituting a high-quality protein drink such as
Almased for one or two meals a day will ensure you’re getting all the
protein and amino acids needed to keep your metabolism running smoothly
and burning fat efficiently.
* Don’t allow setbacks to permanently derail your plan. If you slip, get
back on track right away.
Oops, it got away from you? Take the first two weeks of January and go
on the Almased TurboDiet, a nutritious, liquid diet that can help you
lose 12 to 14 pounds in two weeks. For more information go to
www.almased.com or call (800) ALMASED (256-2733).
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