The FIRST & BEST Original Pilates^® Studio

The holiday season for most people is synonymous with friends, family, gifts and good cheer. The celebrating seems to start earlier and earlier each year. As soon as the back-to-school supplies are off the shelves, the Halloween candy is ready for sale. Do we really need to by our trick-or-treat goodies in September? Then, before we finish that last piece of candy, in rolls Thanksgiving will all its trimmings.

Unfortunately, the average weight gain between Thanksgiving and the New Year is seven pounds. For some people it's an easy gain of an extra 10 pounds that takes months to shed. More and more people, particularly women are feeling that the holidays intensify the stress they already experience in their 24 /7 do-it-all career to caretaker world. The woman who struggles on a daily basis to look, act and play at the top of her game now finds herself with even more on her already too full plate. Many people feel a bad case of the post holiday blues, technically called post-holiday seasonal depression, a common mood disorder. How many times can you go through months of taking it off at the gym, only to put it back on again? Years of "yo-yoing" would depress anyone!

It's time to get started now and stop that holiday weight gain dead in its tracks before the extra pounds pile up any further! First cheer up. Know that you are not alone and that there are good reasons for the way you feel. Secondly, take heart and know that you can do far more than shed those extra 10 pounds.

So if those holiday decorations are still hanging around along with those extra pounds, help is on the way! With just a few pointers you can make permanent changes in your life and create a healthier lifestyle. This year instead of gaining and losing you can take those unwanted 10 pounds off, keep them off, and create a more permanent and healthier lifestyle. The answer is not a magic diet trick, pill or some sort of abdominal blasting machine. The solution to shedding those unwanted pounds and keeping them off for good is to make small, specific changes in diet and exercise that are reasonable and realistic along with a specific start date and goal that is measurable.

Still stumped or can't get started? Here are some pointers for you.

• Pinpoint and write down a specific goal. Determine a reasonable amount of weight to lose in a reasonable time period. Healthy weight loss is an average of one pound per week. Not only write down your goal, but track your success. If you feel you are losing your focus, looking at in on paper can be a big help. Whether it's keeping track of pounds or inches lost, you will be more likely to stay on track if you see the progress you are making towards your goal.
• Come up with a specific plan. It's not good enough to say I want to lose 10 pounds in the next 10 weeks (which is a reasonable time frame to lose 10 pounds.) Decide exactly how you are going to achieve that result. Write it into your daily planner: "Walk after the kids go to school or with a co-worker at lunchtime, Pilates class at 7:00 p.m., exercise video at 6:00 a.m." are all good examples.
• Make small changes and add up big results. Remember it doesn't all have to be done at once. A long brisk walk with the dog before and after work can add up to burning a quick 200 calories a day. Substituting diet soda for regular cola can save you 100 calories, mustard for mayonnaise another 100 calories, skip that evening glass of wine and another 100 calories are eliminated. It's just a matter of simple math. Burn 200 calories more a day and reduce your caloric intake by 300 calories a day for seven days and you will equal 3,500 fewer calories for the week. Put another way, a safe weight loss of one pound per week.
• Be reasonable and realistic, that's extremely important. Forcing yourself to follow a diet that makes you eat things you dislike and deprives you of things you crave is unreasonable and surely doomed to failure. You can eat some pretzels if you feel like something crunchy or a piece of candy if you feel like something sweet. Just budget it into you total calories for the day. The average woman should eat 1,500 calories a day to lose one pound of weight per week. If you write down what you eat and keep track of it, you can eat healthy and still have room to occasionally splurge selectively. Also be realistic and reasonable about your exercise regimen. If you make exercise fit into your life's timetable and lifestyle, you are more likely to stick with it. Hopefully the exercise you pick should be enjoyable and something that you look forward to and at the same time be challenging.
• Don't expect perfection, everyone gets derailed from time to time. No one is perfect. Go easy on yourself. If you can't do a full workout, salvage and do something, 10 to 15 minutes of exercise. Save driving time to the gym and to an exercise DVD. You'll feel better knowing you did something. If you overdo the calorie count on Tuesday, cut back on Wednesday to make up for it. Conversely, praise yourself along the way as you see the pounds and inches dropping down in numbers. Congratulate yourself with a massage or a new pair of jeans in a smaller size and celebrate your success along the way.
• Focus on making a commitment to living a healthier life. It's not just about losing those extra pounds. Yes, it is about short-term changes, but it's also about creating a long-term healthier lifestyle. Exercise is a great stress reducer and mood elevator. Stress reduction and cardiovascular improvement can easily come with weight loss as healthy bonuses. Doing a mind-body form of exercise such as Pilates engages you mind in something other than your problems. The more you link your mind to your body as opposed to thinking about your problems, the more you will reduce your stress level and even possibly your blood pressure. Improvements in your cardiovascular system can also mean possible lowering of cholesterol and risk of coronary disease.
• Consult with a fitness or nutritional professional. If you are still confused or just need a little help getting started, personal trainers, nutritionists and dietitians are great sources of guidance and assistance. If you need help setting up realistic goals and a plan to achieve them, professional guidance can help you get on the right path and keep you going.

It's an attitude and a mindset that will help you go beyond losing those post holiday pounds to create a healthier, long term lifestyle. Believe in yourself and your ability to make the necessary changes. You are in control of the situation and being smart and successful is the ability to make the right choices. Start today and take the first step on a new path that will lead you long into the future. You will be taken on a life long journey that goes far beyond New Year's resolutions.

< Back to ARTICLES Table of Contents

Welcome to Parkland Pilates of Coral Springs | Pilates Events | Pilates Articles | Pilates Class Schedule
Pilates Class Descriptions | Pilates Class Pricing | Pilates Instructor Training | Special Discounts for Pilates Classes
Who is Fran Perel? | Pilatesculpt^® | All About Pilates | Pilates Demos & Photos
Choosing a Pilates Studio in Coral Springs | Pilates Client Testimonials | Pilates Members Only
Parkland Pilates of Coral Springs In the News | Parkland Pilates of Coral Springs Affiliations
What's New at Parkland Pilates of Coral Springs | Parkland Pilates of Coral Springs Events
Pilates Recommended Links | Contact & Find Parkland Pilates of Coral Springs

Copyright © 2006-2007, Parkland Pilates of Coral Springs Inc. and Fran Perel. All rights reserved. Parkland Pilates of Coral Springs Inc. teaches Pilates in its original form and is the first studio in the country to be certified an Original Pilates® studio by Mary Pilates, niece of Joseph H. Pilates. Parkland Pilates of Coral Springs Inc. is dedicated to preserving the original teachings and legacy of Joseph H. Pilates. Fran Perel has been trained and certified as an Original Pilates® instructor by Mary Pilates. Pilatesculpt® is an original form of exercise created by Fran Perel as well as recognized and trademarked by the United States Federal Government. Pilatesculpt® combines Original Pilates® with Body Sculpting for maximum results. All Original Pilates® certificates and trademarks are available on this website. See content to view. All Pilates articles and Pilates information are © copyright Fran Perel and Parkland Pilates of Coral Springs Inc. and are not available for reprint without permission.

11312 Wiles Road, Coral Springs, Florida 33076
(954) 227-7878