I know firsthand how easy it is to make excuses for eating more when I’m exercising. I walk three days a week and take an intensive exercise class three days a week. For the first year after joining the class, I definitely had a mindset of “I can eat that; I exercise more now.” But it didn’t pay off.
At two health-related appointments last spring I discovered that my weight was up, and I doubt it was from muscle. Yes, I’ve gotten a little toned and yes I’m a little stronger, but no, not enough to make that much of a difference in my weight. I decided to make some changes to my eating habits.
I just read an article about weight gain over the holidays. (Lots of great tidbits in the article!) We are now in the holiday season, and having just finished Thanksgiving (and almost all the leftovers), I can relate! I am still exercising, but there is a lot of food around, and it’s easy to let those portions creep back up and less healthy choices creep back in.
My approach is to still use moderation: if I decide to have a piece of pie, I have a “sliver,” and if I choose to have some of the carbohydrate foods that I have been staying away from, I just have a little bit. I don’t get worked up about it. I have also figured out some ways to eat vegetables in place of carbs – for instance with appetizers. Instead of crackers or chips, I eat veggies.
There is no doubt in my mind that exercise is key to long-term health and just feeling good in general. If nothing else, continuing to exercise through the holiday season is worth the effort.