avoid holiday weight gain Archives - Kim Barnes Jefferson

Making The Holidays Easy

kimkb49 — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 21:06:01 +0000

Imagine instead of say OMG I need to find my old pregnancy pants or pants with the most stretch for Thanksgiving Dinner, you said to yourself,
this is the year I’m going to have a healthy Thanksgiving!

Don’t press the freakout button!!! I hear you Thanksgiving is not the same without sweet potatoes with gooey marshmallows, pumpkin pie and
all the other goodies that are brought out on that day’ Let’s be honest with each Thanksgiving is all the food that feeds the stomach and soothes the soul. It is the culinary equivalent of being tucked into a warm bed on a cold night.

How do you honor your healthy lifestyle while wanting to dive head first into those sugar filled treats of the day washed down with a little
Sauvignon Blanc’ Plus your guests may not be expecting brown rice, steamed broccoli, and boiled turkey breasts.

Your hungry guests who are expecting — nay, demanding — all the Thanksgiving classics’

Ready to dig deep

Set the Mood

Let’s face it eating is emotional. Raise your hand if you’ve ever eaten when you’re stressed. Seriously when things are going well, we never think about eating.

Wanna eat less”” Dim the lights and play some soft music, you’ll eat 175 fewer calories and still feel satisfied.

I have two go to’s for stress management is one is Ionix Supreme it’s a blend of plant-based adaptogens and helps protect me against the negative effects of stress. The other is sleep spray, this helps me get to sleep and stay asleep without a food coma.

Create Food-Free Zones

I know I’m so guilty of this, if there is food in front of me I’ll eat it. Do yourself and your guests a favor and create a food-free zone where the socializing can happen without food being within sight. If everyone will be eating at the dining room table, set up a buffet line in the kitchen,
away from where people will be eating.

Ideally your guests are having so much fun socializing that they forget about going back for seconds, or at the very least, think twice about it because you’ve created a physical distance between them and the food.

Manipulate Supply and Demand

Serve higher calorie foods like pasta salad, stuffing, or mashed potatoes in smaller bowls, while serving healthier foods like vegetables in larger ones. It’s subtle, but what you’re doing is creating less demand for the unhealthier food and more demand for the good stuff.

Use Smaller Plates

I know you’ve heard this before, but research suggests that when we use smaller plates, we overestimate the amount of food we’re consuming
and end up eating less, while using larger plates causes us to underestimate our consumption and eat more.

So go ahead and swap out those plates — even if it means using paper plates (if someone wants to get all judgy about having to eat on paper
plates, you can kindly offer to let them do the dishes!).

Don’t Let Leftovers Hijack Your Health Kick

Here’s the thing — Thanksgiving is just ONE day. We certainly don’t want you to miss out on all the seasonal favorites, and it’s absolutely all right
to enjoy yourself for one day. But, with the usual abundance of leftovers, it can be astonishingly easy to let one day turn into one week.

When you come to my house EVERYONE gets a doggie bag!!! I want no more than 48 hours of food in my house!!

What are some of your healthy holiday tips”’ Leave me a comment below. I’m always looking for things to add to my bag of tricks.

If you are over 40 and looking to live a healthy life, be sure to grab my FREE guide!!!

The post Making The Holidays Easy appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

Crush the Holidays: 21 Ways to do it Without Counting Calories

kimkb49 — Fri, 01 Dec 2017 19:12:23 +0000

In this episode of Fab Fit TV, Kim Barnes Jefferson is joined by Leeanne Hayden to talk about crushing the holidays with a new strategy. This episode is all about surviving the “holiday season”, from Thanksgiving to New Years, of eating. Having both come from the competitive fitness world, Kim and Leanne have learned how to remove the guilt from holiday eating.

While most people over-indulge and feel guilty this time of the year, you can save yourself the heartache when you Crush the Holidays.

What Do You Learn From This Episode

Reframing the need to earn your food and focus on creating new habits instead
How to take the power away from food
Why you should focus on taking care of yourself
How to stop the food-guilt-exercise-repeat cycle
5.Why elastic waistbands are not the answer to your holiday eating
How to use mindfulness to help you enjoy your food more.
Why having the courage to take personal time to regroup and reassess is necessary even if it’s in a closet
Celebrating non-scale victories
Why you should start the day with making your bed
Why planning and saving up are not the same thing
Focus on moderation in everything you do
Apps to use for meditation
Using creativity and trade-offs
Why having a relationship with your body is critical to a healthy lifestyle
The power of “No.”

Links mentioned in this episode

Fab Fit Squad — http://kimbarnesjefferson.com

Social Media — Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/FabFitSquad/

Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/kimjeffersoncoach/

21 Day Holiday Crush — http://bit.ly/holidaycrush

Kim’s Email — squadleader[at]fabfitsquad[dot]com

Leanne Hayden —https://www.facebook.com/leeannehayden07

I can be found most days hanging out in my Facebook Group Women Who Thrive. It’s a place for women who are done whining and are ready to get shit done and stop struggling with where they “should” be or what the they “should” be doing to live a healthy lifestyle. This is a place where you will learn how to take consistent action while feeling confident in what to eat and when.

If you are looking to unleash your feel power and not be ruled by your food choices and want to love what you see in the mirror. You’ve found your tribe.

Will you join us’

The post Crush the Holidays: 21 Ways to do it Without Counting Calories appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

2 Key Mindful Eating Tips (To Help Prevent Weight Gain)

kimkb49 — Sun, 12 Nov 2017 15:00:23 +0000

In a nutshell, mindful eating . Mindful eating is a fancy pants way of saying pay attention to what you are shoveling into your mouth!!!

Not many times we eat while doing something else (I’m so guilty of that) it’s rare I’m not multitasking or even sitting when I eat!

Mindless and emotional eating lead to weight gain. While MINDFUL eats, find themselves weighing less. Do you think you can incorporate it into your lifestyle’

Mindful eating is based on two premises: eat slower and in silence.

Eat Slower

Taking time to chew food well is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself. You get to savor each bite, and it helps with your digestion, plus you’ll end up eating less and feeling better than you would if you wolfed down your food.

The first time I discovered this was I attended a meditation class on mindfulness and the instructor had us take 10 minutes to eat a Hershey kiss. Seriously 10 freaking minutes, right those are meant to be eaten in like 2.2 seconds. In those 10 minutes I had the chance to appreciate and ACTUALLY TASTE the chocolate versus just shoveling it into my mouth.

Mindful eating helps you find a deeper appreciation for your food. What it takes to grow veggies, what it takes to create different foods like how grain is milled and turned into flour and baked into bread.

During the summer I go to the farmer’s market and it this brings this point home, the quality of food and the hard work of farmers.

Silence!

While this is a big part of mindful eating, it won’t work in its entirety for all families. Now I’ve become more mindful eating in silence when I’m not by myself not so much!! Dinner is my husband and I’s time to connect. However, we do have an electronics-free zone – no smartphones, no TV; just us chatting about your day. My quality silent time happens at night when I’m writing my gratitude’s and drink a nice hot cup of tea.

Do your best to make to mindful eating a part of your healthy lifestyle and because it is based on awareness, it makes a great weight management tool. Try it – you most likely won‘t go back to the grab-and-go lifestyle.

If you like what you read so much of things these the are simple strategies I share in my 21 Ways To Crush Your Holidays Without Counting Calories. – grab your free PDF download.

The post 2 Key Mindful Eating Tips (To Help Prevent Weight Gain) appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

Why You Need a Consistent Workout Routine

kimkb49 — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 13:11:41 +0000

When it comes to exercising, are you a weekend warrior’ Are you the one that only exercises sporadically, on weekends, when you have time or when you feel like it’

This stop start route is one harder on your body than if you would exercise on a more consistent basis and it will take you longer to achieve your fitness goal, (if you ever do). I call this exercise cha cha. You are taking one step forward and two steps back constantly wondering where and when will you see results!

You want you results, you need to develop consistency. Now I can tell you that a optimal routine looks like the combination of cardio, strength and flexibility training three to four times per week. I say optimal because here is where you need to look at your life and your mindset when it comes to working out. What would be an optimum number for you’

For me with my schedule 4 days work best for me. Now if you are at 1-2 based on your life that’s okay. I’m a big believer of starting where you are. Stop thinking where you “need to “ or where you “should be” you where you are and that’s ok. Soon enough you’ll be doing more than you think.

Having a consistent workout routine helps you to improves your mood. Exercising helps your brain to release endorphins. This is your body’s feel good hormone. It’s the reason why AFTER a workout you feel amazing!

Looking to drop some weight’ Consistency will help you build the muscle (larger muscles help burn more calories which will also help with weight loss), muscles need to be exercised at least every other day to have any real noticeable increase in size.

If you don’t yet have a consistent routine, you can create one by giving yourself a “trial period” of exercising four days per week, 15 minutes – 30 minutes per day, for thirty days. It takes anywhere from 30-66 days to turn an activity into a habit. If you find that you don’t like it after your trial period, you can go back to your old schedule (but most likely you won’t because it is now a habit).

Another way to build consistency to workout at the same time each day. For most people it works best to do it right after they get up in the morning. For the past 10 years I’ve been working out in the AM, I’m really into working out, but if I don’t do it first thing in the morning I can come up with a million reasons WHY and not do it. Then feel guiltily I didn’t drag my tushy out of bed to get it done.

What about you, what’s a time that you know that you can consistently get to the gym” Lunch time , after work”

Experiment and find which time works best for you and then stick to that time.

Now you are saying I’m not consistent with exercise cause I HATE IT!!! Here are a few ways

Group Exercise – find a class that you like and treat It like an appointment
Find something that you love to do
Start small
Buy nice workout clothes
Download some awesome music that motivates
Find some YouTube videos if you don’t want to leave the house

Practicing a regular exercise regimen will not only revive you physically, but also mentally. With consistency comes a gradual increase in muscle mass, reduced stress and an overall greater feeling of relaxation.

If you are looking for a way to crush your holiday goals without counting a single calorie, I invite you to download my free action guide, 21 Days To Crush Your Holiday Goals without counting a calorie

The post Why You Need a Consistent Workout Routine appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

HOW YOU PLANNING TO STAY HEALTHY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON”

kimkb49 — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 13:57:50 +0000

Why does it seem whenever we are starting to live a healthier life, we focus on the obstacles. Sure they may seem huge right now, but don’t let it stop you! You’re giving yourself a new chance at health and wellness. Ask yourself is this reason enough to make you stick with it.

Now at this time of year it can be a little challenge because temptation is around. The holidays give you a great excuse to fall off the wagon, splurge, or give up your diet all together, but fear not my lovelies, there are some great ways to avoid these holiday pitfalls.

Here are 5 Ways to Avoid Temptation and Stick to Your Diet

1️⃣Drink More Water: You have heard this but thirst can be confused with hunger. When you feel hungry grab a glass of cold water.

2️⃣ Make Healthy Swaps: Water isn’t always going to cut it. Instead of having fruit snacks with real fruit juice, how about you have an actual piece fruit that are just as sweet, have less sugar, and are hydrating. One of my favorites is to freeze Greek yogurt yummy and much better for you than those “low cal” healthy ice creams. You can add fruits and nuts for toppings.

3️⃣Eat Real Whole Foods: When you begin a healthy diet, you should begin cooking with whole foods. Trust me I not a fan of cooking but I find when you eat foods that come from the ground, fly, swim or you can pick from a tree or bush goes much further in changing your taste buds and helping your crush your cravings.

4️⃣It’s Okay To Have Treats: Going cold turkey is asking you to lose your shit! Practice moderation, let’s be honest to say you are never going to have a glass of wine or a cupcake in life is a big fat lie. But if you scale back on your fun foods and have them every now again, it will help you resist cravings.

5️⃣Do You Have Someone To Hold You Accountable’: Going it alone is not always a good idea. When you have someone who can keep you on track when temptations rear their ugly heads, you are less likely to go head first into an ice sundae. Your accountability buddy should be someone who you’re in regular contact with, who you feel comfortable talking to and spending time with, and someone who can be honest with you when you need them to be.

Take a look and pick on of these tips that seem the easiest to implement. The biggest take away I have for your is Just remember to have patience with yourself. You will have mess-ups, setbacks, and mistakes.

Want more” I’ve 12 fitness professionals the exact method that they use to cruise the holidays.

The post HOW YOU PLANNING TO STAY HEALTHY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON” appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

14 Lessons Remain Calm This Holiday about holiday stress and how to succeed

kimkb49 — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 22:54:26 +0000

We are standing at the beginning of the crazy holiday season. Let’s prep for any awesome season without all the craziness. I want to help you stay on track this holiday season by giving you 14 tips for healthier holiday parties. It’s too easy this time of year to indulge, all the excitement has our energy levels sky high and we’ll probably be attending multiple parties with food and booze. In this episode I talk about how to remain mindful of your physical and mental health while still enjoying the season with moderation. After all, when the holiday season has been and gone we’ll be left to pick up the pieces and the less pieces there are to pick up, the easier it will be for us to get back on track for the start of the New Year.

Grab your list of 14 ways to stay calm right here.

Show replay

The post 14 Lessons Remain Calm This Holiday about holiday stress and how to succeed appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.

3 Holiday Weight Loss Excuses to Avoid

kimkb49 — Tue, 09 Dec 2014 10:00:28 +0000

When the holiday season begins to roll around it gets much easier to lose sight of your goals and stop working towards your diet, but that’s a huge mistake! Generally from mid October to mid January “the holidays” are whopping 2-3 months and that’s a whole quarter of the year. If you’re working hard to lose weight the rest of the year it’s a huge waste to throw it all away for just a few months of snacks. So many people end up gaining weight during the holidays and then when January comes around they find themselves further behind than they were before. It doesn’t feel good to lose that progress and it’s not going to help you on your path to being healthier. I’m not saying you can’t let up, you should definitely enjoy the holidays and your favorite holiday treats, but don’t ruin all of your hard work by ignoring your weight loss goals through the holidays. Here are three of the most common holiday weight loss excuses to look for so you can watch to make sure you aren’t trying to use them.

“The holidays only come once a year. I might as well just enjoy myself.” I’ve already mentioned this. Yes, the holidays only come once a year but they do come every year. A better option would be, “Christmas only comes once a year.” Enjoy that Christmas feast. Eat your heart out. Don’t use the holidays as an excuse to binge for weeks (or months) on end. A holiday is a special occasion. THE holidays is a period of time.
“It’s too cold outside to exercise.” Trust me I’m right there with you. I hate the cold! So.. instead of my nice long walks around the Charles, I take all my workouts inside. Exercise is more important than ever during a time of year where you’re likely going to be overindulging more often. Try an indoor workout video, run up and down stairs, dance along to your favorite music. It doesn’t need to be structured, just get moving. Spend 30 minutes moving your body enough to get your heart pumping, that’s something you can do without even leaving the house. “It’s too cold” is just an excuse to get out of doing the healthy thing.
I can’t say no to the host/hostess/family member or they’ll be upset.” We all have those friends/relatives who are “food pushers” They ones who have their “signature” dish that you can’t not eat without hurting their feelings OR the ones who no matter how many times you say no think we’ll always keep presenting more and more food options. This can be tough. It’s not easy to turn someone down when they’re offering you kindness. Here’s the thing to remember though… Your obligation to yourself to stick to your goals and treat your body right is more important. Sure, some people might get a little upset when you turn away a second helping of their food or a certain dessert but they’ll get over it. Explain you’re watching your weight and you’ve already had your fill. If you’re really worried about making someone upset, ask for a smaller helping. For example if they’re offering pie simply say, “Hey, could you cut that in half’ I’m already pretty full.” Don’t throw away all of your hard work by falling victim to excuses. Your health and goals are important. You don’t want January to hit as you realize you’re further from your goal than you were at the start of October. It’s not a great feeling.

The post 3 Holiday Weight Loss Excuses to Avoid appeared first on Kim Barnes Jefferson.