Getting back in shape after the holidays

No matter how much of a health buff you are, the holiday season, which starts from the day you take your Christmas break up until a couple of days after the New Year, is some sort of time vacuum. And in that vacuum, time and exercise don’t really make sense. As a result, it’s usually when we all find ourselves guilty of eating a bit too much. And who can blame us? It’s the holidays. Food is everywhere. It’s essentially cheating day galore, and what’s so bad about indulging our tummies a little after a hard year of working out and getting in shape?

Come January, however, we realize that we gained quite a bit of weight, and we find ourselves at a loss again. Not to fear, however, as losing weight in 2019 can be as simple as cutting the crap. And that’s just not junk food, it’s also fitness trends and questionable studies. So if your New Year’s resolution is to get back in shape, here’s how you can actually do it. No failure by February guaranteed:

1. The Mediterranean diet

Last year, endurance athletes and celebrities raving about the high-fat, low-carb ketogenic diet made it one of Google’s most-searched terms. However, Dr. Louis Aronne, an endocrinologist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine who runs the Comprehensive Weight Control Center, noted that the Mediterranean diet “is the only diet that has been proven in trials to promote weight loss and reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases.”

A typical Mediterranean diet consists of using olive oil as your main cooking oil, a plate filled with fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and the occasional piece of red meat thrown in there for extra taste.

The Mediterranean diet is made up of a delicious mix of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. (Photo by Daniel70mi Falciola via Flickr. CC BY 2.0.)

2. Eating less is a better weight loss regimen than more exercise

This may come out sounding a bit contradictory, but according to Dr. Aronne, “Trying to exercise your way out of your weight problem is very difficult (because) it’s very hard to exercise that much. You really need to cut down on calorie intake to lose the weight. Exercise is better at preventing weight gain.”

3. Carbs are not your enemy

Per Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, the concept of carbohydrates has really gotten such a bad reputation, and we need to understand that there are complex carbohydrates and ancient grains that can help us both lose weight and increase our satiety, so we stay full longer and want to eat less.

“It actually decreases the cholesterol and stabilizes the blood sugar, and all of these things are a really important part of a weight loss program,” she said.

4. Slow but steady

As with anything, there is no magic pill that will make you lose a lot of weight upon swallowing. Sustainable weight loss is slow and steady, and unless you’re starving yourself by not eating, you will only lose around one to two pounds a week. Furthermore, aiming for little changes can add up to big changes. In fact, losing only 3 percent of your body weight will already improve your insulin levels and blood sugar, as well as decrease your cholesterol.

5. All workouts are equal

There are various workouts that have varied goals, as there are different strokes for different people. However, the truth is, all workouts are built around the core idea of being healthier, and the best workout is something that you will actually enjoy doing. So choose one that will get you moving, other than something that will make you hate yourself after a few sessions.

So get moving. Because the sooner you start choosing to get back on shape, the sooner you can revert to regular programming. Being healthy isn’t always easy, but you don’t need to sacrifice fun while doing it.