How to survive the holidays, revisited
- Never show up hungry to a holiday party or meal. Make sure you have a big breakfast and enjoy at least two good meals or snacks before the feast. This will minimize the amount of overeating. For instance, 12 almonds and an apple will help to quell your appetite so that when you get to that meal you don’t overeat.
- The most important item during the holiday season is water. Water helps your body synthesize carbs. It helps with the high and lows of blood sugar that come with desserts and sweets that we don’t normally have in our diet.
- If you are going to attend a holiday party and plan on drinking alcohol, consume a full eight to 10 ounces of water in addition to a beverage of your choice. This will minimize the amount of alcohol you drink.
- When eating appetizers or pot luck style, the best choices are vegetables, lean proteins and fruits. If you’re designated to bring a dish to a gathering, bring something that’s a healthy choice for yourself. You never know what’s going to be presented in front of you and you always want to have good options.
- Fill your plate modestly, and wait 30 minutes after you finish before going back for seconds. This will allow your blood sugar and insulin levels to adjust. You may find that you won’t really be hungry for that second plate.
- Treat dessert as a treat. Serve yourself a small portion, and stop there.
- A good cardiovascular workout for 2-3 days after your holiday will help deplete excess storage of carbs and fat that you picked up during the holiday.
- If it’s possible, throw in an extra two days of 30 minute cardiovascular activity. Remember that walking is just as good as a slow jog and easier on your body.
- Consistency is key to your exercise program. Don’t let the holidays derail you by missing too many days in a row of your routine. Don’t try to make up what you’ve missed by overtraining – just get back on your plan.
- Remember that it is a holiday, so do let yourself enjoy. The following day wake up and get right back on your food plan and exercise.
How to survive the holidays
Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or an everyday Joe, the season from Thanksgiving through New Year’s can wreak havoc on the waistline – and more. Rod Dixon, LA Marathon Director of Training, and Matt Mahowald, LA Marathon Nutrition and Supplement Consultant, offer their tips for enjoying the holidays – and holiday menus – without sabotaging your diet, exercise or training routine.
- Never show up hungry to a holiday party or meal. Make sure you have a big breakfast and enjoy at least two good meals or snacks before the feast. This will minimize the amount of overeating. For instance, 12 almonds and an apple will help to quell your appetite so that when you get to that meal you don’t overeat.
- The most important item during the holiday season is water. Water helps your body synthesize carbs. It helps with the high and lows of blood sugar that come with desserts and sweets that we don’t normally have in our diet.
- If you are going to attend a holiday party and plan on drinking alcohol, consume a full eight to 10 ounces of water in addition to a beverage of your choice. This will minimize the amount of alcohol you drink.
- When eating appetizers or pot luck style, the best choices are vegetables, lean proteins and fruits. If you’re designated to bring a dish to a gathering, bring something that’s a healthy choice for yourself. You never know what’s going to be presented in front of you and you always want to have good options.
- Fill your plate modestly, and wait 30 minutes after you finish before going back for seconds. This will allow your blood sugar and insulin levels to adjust. You may find that you won’t really be hungry for that second plate.
- Treat dessert as a treat. Serve yourself a small portion, and stop there.
- A good cardiovascular workout for 2-3 days after your holiday will help deplete excess storage of carbs and fat that you picked up during the holiday.
- If it’s possible, throw in an extra two days of 30 minute cardiovascular activity. Remember that walking is just as good as a slow jog and easier on your body.
- Consistency is key to your exercise program. Don’t let the holidays derail you by missing too many days in a row of your routine. Don’t try to make up what you’ve missed by overtraining – just get back on your plan.
- Remember that it is a holiday, so do let yourself enjoy. The following day wake up and get right back on your food plan and exercise.
Legacy runners gearing up
Once again the LA Marathon will host a sizable contingent of Legacy Runners. This amazing group–about 240 strong–has run every single LA Marathon. 24 straight. And 2010 will mark a quarter century of not missing a single edition of the race. Unbelievable. They’ve kicked off their training, and “Legacy” Lou Briones recently sent me this photo of a group of them about to head out for a run at the Rose Bowl. Bravo!
Sunday in Malibu
How many of you are into trail running? We love it, too, and Sunday some of us from the office will be out in Malibu running the Xterra Pt Mugu Trail Run. Having run parts of this trail, I can tell you that the scenery is spectacular. And they’ve got both 18K and 11K options. Why not come join us and mix up your training a little bit? There’s not better way to try out this sport than at a fun event like this. See you there!
LA Roadrunners – Training Begins This Saturday, 9/12
Join our official LA Marathon Training Program
Who says running isn’t a team sport? Join the official training program of the LA Marathon and you’ll never run alone. Join legendary runner Rod Dixon every Saturday for 26 weeks and we’ll provide the coaching, expertise and enthusiasm to get from the couch to the finish line.
LA Roadrunners boast a phenomenal race day finisher’s rate of 99%, and it offers both veterans and novices a chance to connect with fellow runners, train with a pace leader, receive expert tips on nutrition and technique, and take advantage of numerous race-day perks. Become an LA Roadrunner today and get the most out of your marathon experience.
LA Roadrunners meets at Westminster Avenue Elementary School in Venice, California. The 2009-2010 Training Program will begin on Saturday, September 12. Online registration is now open.
You can also register in person on Saturday. The LA Roadrunners registration process will began at 6:30 a.m. The sooner you get there to complete your registration process and pick-up your shirt, the sooner we can start the morning training activites. Come prepared to run as we will be doing a 3 mile training session.
LA Roadrunner Training Location
Westminster Avenue Elementary School
1010 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Venice, CA 90291
For more info about the LA Roadrunners, visit our website, http://www.laroadrunners.com/.
Hope to see you all tomorrow morning!
Stacy
