LOSE THE HOLIDAY WEIGHT!

Did you follow our suggestions for avoiding holiday weight gain?  If not, we’re here for you again.  If you find yourself a few pounds thicker after a slightly indulgent holiday season, address it now to reverse the trend and get back on track for a healthy 2012.  To help you get back on track, SCA is beginning the annual weight loss challenge this week!  Read on for details about how to get involved.

START NOW

There is no time like the present.  The sooner you get back into your healthy habits, the less weight you will have to lose.  If you continue another month of holiday-type indulging, there will be even more work to do when you finally get started.  Join the resolution revolution by finding a weight loss partner (friend, spouse, co-worker), a group, or even a formal program like weight watchers.  The meetings for group-based weight loss are packed this time of year, so you can find lots of support and encouragement if you get started this month.

MIND GAMES

Try to avoid defeatist thinking by remembering a time when you were in the habit of making healthy choices (perhaps just a few weeks ago!).  If you did it before, you can do it again.  Remember how good it felt to be eating nutritious foods and exercising regularly.  As the saying goes, “Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.”  Imagine yourself with more energy and better fitting pants!  You may want to create a vision board with images that represent the lifestyle you want to achieve.  You can do this by cutting out pictures and posting them somewhere that they will serve as daily inspiration (such as the refrigerator) or create something virtual with a website like Mindbloom (www.mindbloom.com), www.pinterest.com or www.visionboardsite.com. 

THE HUNGER SCALE

Holiday weight gain is often the result of letting the reigns go on portion control and eating because food is available and festive.  To get back on track, start by getting back in touch with your true physical hunger.  Notice if you are physically hungry or if you want to eat for other reasons (social, emotional, etc).  Wait until you are hungry before eating and stop eating before you become full.  If you think of hunger on a 10-point scale (1 is starving, 10 is stuffed), eat when you get down to 3 and stop when you get up to 8.  This takes practice and awareness, but it can help get you out of the portion-inflation habit.

DRINK WATER

Water is the most neglected and most essential nutrient!  Our body is made up of mostly water and requires water for almost every biological function.  Eating a lot of salt and sugar during the holidays can leave you feeling bloated.  Drinking enough water will help to flush your system for a fresh start.  Wondering how much water you really need?  Eight glasses is an estimate, but for your specific needs, multiply your body weight (in kg) by 0.8 and that will tell you how many daily ounces to drink.  If you are exercising a lot, use 1.2 instead of 0.8.  If you don’t want to do the math, here is a good online calculator: http://www.csgnetwork.com/humanh2owater.html.

GET MOVING

You may be overwhelmed with the return to reality or just too lazy and tired to be interested in exercise, but getting your blood flowing is the perfect antidote for overindulgence.  If a trip to the gym seems like too much, start small.  Take a brisk walk around the block, do 30 jumping jacks, run up and down the steps a few times.  Even a few minutes will boost your mood and energy level and may even leave you wanting more!

DE-STRESS

One of the reasons for over-eating during the holidays is the stress of a busy schedule, tight finances, and family demands.  Returning to a pile of mail or a long list of e-mails can also be stressful.  Try to take some time to rest and relax, if only for a few minutes each day.  Take a few deep breaths, listen to some enjoyable music, or slowly sip a cup of herbal tea.  Lowering your stress hormones will assist in appetite regulation and help you to avoid stress eating.

SCA CHALLENGE

SCA. Your Life. Your Health: What Do You Have to Lose? is a year‐long weight loss challenge organized by the SCA Wellness Committee.  The challenge began in the first week of January 2012 and all full‐time SCA US employees are eligible to participate.

The Challenge does not recommend a particular diet or weight loss program.  Instead, it encourages individuals to establish a nutritious eating plan and to increase physical activity in order to achieve & maintain a healthy weight loss.

Weigh-in between January 3^rd and 14^th to enroll in the SCA Weight Loss Challenge!  See your nurse or a wellness committee member for specific weigh-in days/times at your location.

All participants in the weight loss challenge will be required to complete a registration form and must weigh‐in at the beginning of the program.  In addition, participants must weigh‐out at scheduled times throughout the year in order to be eligible for the following incentives:

First Weigh-Out (4/30/12 ‐ 5/11/12): $50 for every 5% of weight lost up to $200 and continued eligibility for incentives

Second Weigh-Out (8/20/12 ‐ 8/31/12): $75 for maintaining or continuing weight loss since the 1st weigh-out and continued eligibility for incentives

Final Weigh-Out (12/3/12 ‐ 12/14/12): $100 for maintaining or continuing weight loss since the 1^st weigh-out and a chance to win the Grand Prize of $1,000

ONLINE RESOURCES

Want more motivation?  There are thousands of people who are in the same situation, trying to lose a few (or a lot of) pounds after the holidays.  You may want to visit these websites to find inspiration and assistance in meeting your weight loss goals:

www.socialworkout.com

www.43things.com

Weight Watchers message boards (free) http://www.weightwatchers.com/community/mbd/index.aspx#General

www.sparkpeople.com

MORE HELP

If you’re interested in personal coaching to help meet your weight loss (or other health-related) goals, contact our team at shaaz@corporatehealthsolutions.com.