All Articles, Holiday Weight Loss Challenge

(#13) The Mother Load

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December 21, 2009
	Dr. Gary Huber : Head Medical Ego

Oh my goodness did I hit the mother load. I went to our local community Christmas celebration last night with the family and was crushed by an avalanche of cookies. Fortunately I was up to the task and was able to eat my way out. It’s amazing how life finds it’s own balance. I was just talking about my credit in the calorie bank and now this weekend I ate all my savings. A beautiful celebration of community and spirit was enjoyed and with it many home made top shelf cookies were enjoyed. My son and I volunteered to load happy holiday goers into a silly train that went around the town. Not ten feet from our station was a cookie and hot chocolate stand offering home made goodies and we took extreme advantage. 

We spent the following day at home with family and friends and again many excellent homemade treats were shared. This is what gives the holiday season it’s special feel.  Family and laughter in great quantities and promises to friends get together more often.  Yes we over ate but the fact is that these occasions are rare. If I overeat on a daily basis then it robs the holiday of some of it’s special feel. I had no guilt and no remorse. I enjoyed every minute, every laugh, and every cookie.

I have earned this treat. I have paid my dues. I worked out hard this weekend, twice. I will workout again tomorrow and need to keep the intensity to a moderate level as I will be recovering from an intense session that I shared with friends this morning. Allow the body to be driven hard and then allow it the active rest it requires. Active rest is an interesting concept and it doesn’t mean sitting on the couch. It means to workout at a less intense level to facilitate blood flow while not placing the muscles under significant stress. This is the ying/yang of exercise. Highs are always followed by lows to allow for balance. A body can’t take relentless intensity or it will end up breaking down. So learn to listen to your body and know when to press on and when to back off.

I hope your weekend was special and as the last few days before Christmas fly by, take time to formulate your plan. Make time in your schedule now for important workouts.  Mark appointments with yourself and mark them in your day keeper as to what workout you will do, for how long and at what intensity. The very act of writing them in now greatly increases the odds of you following through. You know that those family gatherings will contain some special goodies and if you have followed our plan then you will be able to eat with pleasure and devoid of guilt. 

Out original agenda was to have our treats and land on the scale January 1^st with a one-pound weight loss. How close are you to meeting that goal? There is still time to adjust and hit and the mark if you find yourself behind. If you are 2 pounds over the mark presently then reread and remind yourself of the guiding principles. 

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