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President, LifeStyle Dimensions
President and Founder, Women of Purpose, an outreach to women
Radio host, Healthy Solutions and co-host, Perspectives
Frequent guest on local TV shows
Author
RN, Shoreline Nursing School, Seattle, WA, specializing in women’s health, labor, and delivery
Married to Lewis, 3 adult children
CBN.com
– SURVIVING THE HOLIDAYS
As we look forward to the Christmas holidays we don’t have to look forward to gaining extra pounds. Danna says, "You don't have to put your health on the shelf for one month out of the year."
The key is to be aware of your calorie intake. Whenever you attend a party or special event, there are several strategies that can help you stay in control. First, never starve yourself beforehand. That is a sure way to increase the chance of a blowout!
Danna offers several ways to survive special occasions. Here are a few:
1) Start the day with a great breakfast (high in protein and fiber so you feel less hungry)
2) Offer to bring a low-calorie snack or meal contribution
3) Spend more time talking than eating
4) Don’t hesitate to leave food on your plate. "Enjoy the food you've selected by taking the time to savor the taste of each item. If you do eat a little more than you should cut your losses and make better eating choices tomorrow," says Danna.
Danna says the trick to keeping weight off is to think in terms of a total life change in how we think about food. A lifestyle change is something that you can do most days of your life without too much effort or deprivation. Everything else is just a diet!
For more tips and key changes you can make, check out the Holiday Party Survival Guide.
SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF
Danna says you are not battling with too much weight simply because of the occasional binge, vacation, or holiday celebration. It’s the little things you do every day that really matter. She says the average woman gains about 25 lbs between the ages of 20 and 50. How many calories does she need to eat for this to happen? It’s only about five calories a day. That’s the equivalent of one breath mint a day.
This sounds like bad news, but the opposite is true as well. If you burn five calories more a day than you eat, you’ll lose 25 lbs over 30 years. At first you may think your little lifestyle changes aren’t making any difference because you don’t see any indication on the scale. But it’s happening. You just don’t realize that those little lifestyle shifts really add up. People can move from a two-story house to a single level and gain ten pounds simply because they’re not running up and down the stairs every day!
To change your habits and behavior; you must first change your mind. Danna believes this is the most important principle for transforming our lives, and it is based on clear biblical teaching. In Proverbs it says, “As he thinks in his heart, so is he” (23:7 NKJV).
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