Different Ways to Lose Weight after Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving Day has passed. Those festivities, parties and gatherings are all done. Despite all the plans and mind set you had 
to behave yourself, you still could not get away from the fact that the delicious and tasty turkey and all the other dishes were in front of you, wanting to be eaten. You couldn’t resist it! All those sumptuous and tempting Thanksgiving meals, undoubtedly, added to your weight gain and to your belly fats. Now it is time to think about losing those extra pounds before the next holiday season starts.
Losing weight is your primary goal after all the inevitable binge-eating. With all the available and advanced technology nowadays, you can now lose weight in just a few days. Although these procedures are painless, it will cost you a lot and it will not guarantee that the fats won’t come back. But if you choose to lose weight the natural way, discipline is the number one rule because you, yourself are your number one enemy. Different kinds of exercises, hydration, regulation and control of what you eat are just some of the healthy and natural ways of losing all that extra weight.
Set realistic goals
First, before anything else, you should set realistic goals. You know yourself and you know what you can and cannot do. You
know your capabilities and limitations. Since, you create your goals, for example, taking a brisk walk at the park for an hour every morning. You should be able to perform that since you’ve already assessed yourself that you are capable to do it. Discipline yourself to attain your goals.
Also, it will be helpful if you write your plan down and post it somewhere in your room where you can always see it. Doing this reminds you, that you have a goal and you must achieve it. You need to lose that extra weight.
Regulate what you eat
Because you already had a goal, you need to control yourself, especially when it comes to food. It doesn’t help when you suddenly don’t eat anything. It will just ruin your health. Instead, you can limit the amount of food you usually eat. For example, finish half your plate and safe the rest for the next day. Eat smaller portions rather than overeating.
One of your goals also is to reduce your calorie consumption by 20%. Know your regular calorie consumption then decrease it.
Water therapy
In anything you do, always hydrate yourself by drinking 8-12 glasses of water per day. It promotes the excretion of wastes and toxins in the body.
Exercise and regular physical activity
Brisk walking
Brisk walking is one of the easiest ways of losing weight. Not only because you can do it in your own neighborhood but also because it is free. Brisk walking is beneficial, it uplifts your mood, promotes circulation of the blood to the different parts of the body and it helps in reducing the risk of hypertension and diabetes. It is also helpful in burning the fats in your body. Start with a 30-45 minute brisk walk and then gradually increase it over time. According to Health.sify.com, you can burn 100 cal of energy with every mile you walk. With a habit of 45 minutes brisk walking three times a week, you can burn 1 pound every month month.
In case your neighborhood has no side walks, you can try the following:
- Use stairs instead of elevators or escalators
- Sign up for charity walks or fun runs
- Park your car at the back of the parking lot
Swimming
Swimming or water aerobics can also be an alternative for those who have the time and resources. It is also a form of exercise that improves your lung capacity. It is very beneficial for seniors because it reduces stiffness in your joints.
Other Modalities:
Yoga aids in the coordination of our body, mind and spirit. It has many psychological and physiological benefits. It helps decrease the anxiety and stress especially now that holiday season is fast approaching. It promotes memory retention, concentration and improves attention. Yoga also helps in decreasing cholesterol levels in the body, thus keeping the body weight to be on a healthy level.
Pilates
Pilates is a form of exercise that promotes core strength and flexibility. It helps in improving the body posture, making the 
muscles lean and long. Pilates is a good exercise to lose weight because of its combined aerobic activities.
Keeping your body on shape is not only important during and after the holidays. You must always be aware of what you eat because you alone are in charge of your own health. No matter what method you may choose, always consider and know what your capabilities and limitations are.
Remember that losing weight can be fun especially when you do it together with your family members and friends.
Enjoy, Johanna
- Johanna Oosterwijk N.D.