The next few weeks undoubtedly are challenging in many ways. Staying focused on health and wellness during the busy holiday season may seem impossible. Maintaining your body weight can be difficult and studies show that the average person gains between 1-5 pounds during the winter holidays. The “Maintain Don’t Gain Challenge” will encourage you to practice habits that are supportive of maintaining your weight while you celebrate a healthy holiday season!
The “Maintain Don’t Gain Challenge” is being observed in a number of Kansas communities as well as all state of Kansas employees. I love the slogan and the idea behind it so I hope that you will consider designing your own challenge for this holiday season. You will need a starting point so the first order of business is to weigh yourself. Activities that earn points each day include: eating a healthy breakfast, eating a healthy lunch, exercising 30 minutes or more, limiting sweets to 1 serving or less, and limiting alcohol or sugary beverages to 1 or less. I installed the free Mya app on my phone and can keep track of my points earned daily.
Many diet plans have complicated formulas and ratios. But the basics of weight loss or maintaining weight are simple: Consume less, burn more. Besides balancing your healthy food choices with daily exercise you will want to take a closer look at portion sizes. Find healthy foods that you can substitute for your high-calorie favorites. Consider recording your eating habits in a food journal. This is a proven strategy for weight loss or maintaining your weight.
Good luck with the “Maintain Don’t Gain Challenge” and have fun!
Donna Krug is the Family and Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Barton County. You may reach her at: (620)793-1910 or dkrug@ksu.edu