The 4th of July celebration is upon us. Many of us tend to take a detour from our healthy routine during the holidays. The process of a healthy lifestyle can continue to stay its course, and yes you can and should continue to have fun! My biggest challenge is the eating and exercise…in the past I would eat more and exercise less. Sound familiar?
Some actions that I/we have taken to assist during these challenging periods.
We will eat a big nourishing breakfast, oatmeal, eggs, maybe melted cheese on whole grain toast or a wrap.
Get plenty of Vitamin C, maybe through Orange juice.
An early run for about 1 hour, zone 3….a fast walk will work.
Include salads, vegetable, fruits on the snack table(s)….my wife makes certain of this so this is one is easy.
One of my favorite quotes :
“Learn to say “No Thank Youâ€Β. You do not have to try every dish prepared or eat all that you take. Starving children around the world will not benefit from the extra pounds of body fat you will accumulate after you clear your plate several times to be polite. “
While food is being prepared, only sample the food that is necessary. You could potentially eat 500-800 calories in sampling before you sit down to eat. Ask your family/friends to taste and give feedback as well.
Eat ONLY until you are satisfied, NOT full. If you sit at the dinner table for more then 2 hours, you are probably going to eat more then you need to because it’s there. Pay attention to when your body feels good, not when you need to unbutton your pants!
We drink lots of water and will usually snack on raw almonds!
Okay..I am starting to ramble. Have a fulfilling weekend, stay healthy…most of all have fun!
31 users commented in " Maintaining a Healthy Routine "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackGreat timely advice Mark. Thanks for thinking ahead and reminding us to be smart during the holidays. I had already thought about maintaining my running, but somehow forgot to remember the healthy eating part. Thanks for the encouragement.
Just think of how many lives you’re impacting, positively. Not only the reader, but the lives of those who love your readers. π
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@Cheryl, If I can do my part and make a healthy contribution, we are all taking positives steps towards a healthier us! Thanks for your feedback and kind words!
-Mark
Echoing Cheryl, this really is timely advice.
And the first part does sound all too familiar to me. Diet-wise, I tend to do great during the workweek, semi-ok on the weekend, and bad on special occassions. So, this is timely advice, and that which I’ll “try” to use this weekend. Thanks much.
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@Lance, Let us know how it goes and remember to have fun…you deserve it!
-Mark
Those are some GREAT tips! I love that quote – it’s so true, especially at family gatherings. It’s all to easy to say “yes” to relatives piling their homemade fare onto your plate. Pretty soon, you’ve got a mountain of food, and no where to put it but your stomach π
The almonds are a great idea too!
@Jenn, So true…one of my favorite quotes. Enjoy the 4th! π
-Mark
My favorite is eat only until you are satisfied! Why must it be harder than it sounds?
@Mama, ahh….the challenges π
And if you DO drink, Light Rum and diet Coke has the least amount of calories and zero carbs. Not that I would know or anything. grins Happy 4th!!
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@Claudia, Have a great 4th! π !
-Mark
All sounds good, but can you follow me around and slap my hand and then push my out the door in the morning for my bike ride? π Enjoy the Holiday!
@saraelkins, In spirit…have a nice weekend! π
Great advice. Oh, if everyone would follow it our health-care costs would plummet.
I have always had salepeople and patients bringing food. Some get their feelings hurt if I don’t eat it. They all say “you can cheat just this once”. I have learned to thank them kindly, then tell them I cannot eat the food due to my blood pressure and cholesterol. If I eat that once then my willpower will be down for the next temptation.
Most understand, Now I don’t need meds to control my BP and Chol., and some have started bringing heart-healthy dishes.
James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.
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@James Hubbard, I agree…great feedback!
I have been trying out some of the recipes at
http://www.familydoctormag.com/recipes/
I have to say that those are fantastic, healthy recipes! Thanks again!
-Mark
Thanks for stopping by the blog…I love reading yours for inspiration and motivation!
@alex, I thank you! Have a nice weekend!
-Mark
Great ideas!
I like the pre-eating philosophy myself. If I know I’m heading to a feast and/or bar-b-q I’ve decided to have a small meal before hand, to lessen my probability of eating everything I see… and being full helps with that.
Secondly I’m a BIG advocate of the ‘pinch prompt’ (yes I coined that phrase). Everytime you feel the need/urge to eat more than you should, or eat something you shouldn’t.. or decide to not exercise… (the list goes on)… take a ‘pinch’ of your gut. Pinch your gut, or pinch your love handles. Pinch your thighs, or heck take a pinch of the “wave-good-bye” under your arms.
A quaint, suttle and very effective reminder of what your working for.
Enjoy your holiday my friend!
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@Strong One, Excellent feedback! I am all over that one “pinch prompt”…that one is a keeper!
Have a great weekend!
-Mark
Yes, it’s so easy to tell yourself that calories don’t count during holidays, isn’t it? Of course, it’s okay to splurge once in a while… just don’t make a habit out of it. And you’ll definitely feel better if you get a workout in before you indulge. Nice tips, Mark!
@FatFighter, The workout is key, hopefully the rest will help! Thanks for the feedback! π
-Mark
Great tips! All this talk about Fourth of July makes me want to celebrate it… also good advice about saying “no thank you”; I think that one is a BIG challenge for most people.
@Sagan, Celebration time!
and enjoy the COMPANY.
it need not be about the food.
@MizFit, I second that one! π
-Mark
Thanks for the tips. Have a great 4th!
@Rachel, Enjoy the 4th! Thanks!
Thanks Mark! I have to get up and AWAY from where all the food is on days like this so that I don’t continue snacking. Happy 4th!
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@IzzyBeth, Keep busy yes! π
-Mark
Hi, Mark! How timely for me to visit your site! I don’t need to lose weight, but I definitely need to get off my behind and exercise more and tone up. Great tips and advice here!
Have a great 4th!
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@Sybil Law, I hope you had a fun 4th!
-Mark
Coming in the day after the 4th to report…first of all, great advice Mark.
We did not partake in any gathering but decided to have our own fiesta. Our meal started with steamed shrimp and fresh salsa–an interesting, yet tasty combination. Then a fruity,nutty, spinach salad, iced tea/lemonade for the kids. By the time the burgers were done, we shared because we were not hungry enough to eat a whole one– For dessert–strawberry shortcake! Had to have something sweet but no guilt required- they were small, tasty-just right.
I think drinking water and snacking on healthy foods prior to dinner kept us from overeating once we sat down for dinner. Another tip I’d like to add is eating slowly, giving your body time to realize it has had enough.
Thanks again Mark!
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@spindva, steamed shrimp and fresh salsa…yum! Fruity,nutty, spinach salad, iced tea/lemonade are excellent choices in my book. I hope you enjoyed your weekend!
-Mark
Good tips! I always limit myself to just one or two drinks, too! π
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@Fit Bottomed Girls, moderation is always safe!
-Mark
Thanks for visiting my blog! Yours is awesome. I think all holidays will include some form of outdoor fun/activity for me from now on. What fun! I’m off to read “my fitness journey”.
Michelle
http://diaryofanaspiringloser.blogspot.com
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@Michelle, Thanks for visiting!
-Mark
These are great tips. I love the big breakfast idea. We try to plan active stuff on holidays so we aren’t just sitting around with family and snakcing. It’s hard to eat an extra serving of pie when you are playing volleyball π
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@Hannah, volleyball is fun, I love it!
-Mark
Good tips. I never think of the raw almonds. I turn to pretzels too often, but I think the almonds would be loads better. (I mean, I KNOW they would be)
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@San Diego Momma,
I love my almonds!
-Mark
Should have seen the amounts of nasty unhealthy food at my party!!!!!!!!!!! Packed an icechest for myself!
@Rachel, youuuuu! π
-Mark
[…] Find a fit for you. Join Weight Watchers or a gym, or exercise with friends. Learn about diabetes through books or magazines such as James Hubbard’s My Family Doctor. We have tips on diet and exercise in almost every issue. Browse the Web. We have some excellent articles online, such as “Your Exercise Personality” (or just type “exercise” or “diet” into our search engine). Another great website for fitness tips and incentives is Mark Salinas’ Healthy Living Today. See his article on maintaining a healthy routine. […]