A Visit from the Yo-Yo Squad

This holiday season was been pretty f-bomb mahhhhvelous, from every perspective: the parties, the people, the food, the beverages…most of all for being healthy enough to enjoy all of it (Silver Lining).

The only downside to this holiday season is the 7 lbs I packed on. UGH. Now, however, it’s time to cut back. To regroup. To get back on the vegan train.

Yo-Yo dieting is never a good idea. Did you know that yo-yoing puts you at an increased risk of: heart disease, depressed immune system function, osteoporosis, slowed metabolism, loss of muscular strength, mood swings & depression, among other things? Not so good.

It is especially bad if you’ve had FBC. According to Rachel Beller, RD, MS, “Yo-Yo dieting leads to increased fat deposition and weight gain which is particularly dangerous for post breast cancer patients and does not promote the ultimate goal of simultaneous eating cancer fighting foods while maintaining a healthy weight.”  Grrrreat. OK, I got it. I got it: No More Yo-Yoing!

I’m back on the program and totally focused. Below are some of the ways that we can all shed the holiday lbs (not that you gained an ounce, of course!):

1. Eat healthy whole foods, high quality proteins, and lots of vegetables to keep your system working all day and burning efficiently.
2. Don’t starve yourself.  Seriously reducing calories after heavy eating will slow your metabolism, and especially the day after a big meal is the day you need that metabolism to be working at full capacity.
3. Avoid salt and salty foods;  that might mean avoiding eating out because most restaurants over-salt their food. I’m just sayin’… This is a great day for a home cooked veggie stir-fry, or a pureed vegetable soup. 
4. Avoid processed foods, especially those with gluten.  Processed foods will add to the bloat. Avoid bread, pasta, and cracker type foods, and go for salads, vegetables, or legumes and whole grains. For the month of January, I am removing all white food.
5. Drink lots of water to help flush the salt out of your system and to keep you satisfied.  Many times when we think we’re hungry, we’re actually thirsty.  Fill your water bottles this morning, add some lemon and stevia for a light lemonade, and indulge in this all day. Flush, flush, flush.
6. Exercise! Go for a long walk, run, hike or bike ride. Get some fresh air (even if it’s cold!), and smile while you do.  This will help to increase your metabolism too.
7. Be patient.  Studies show that stress actually leads to weight gain.  It’s been a super holiday season, and perhaps I indulged just a little too much. There is time to enjoy (which I did with gusto!) and there is time to focus. Now is clearly the time to focus.