Outdoors/Adventure

Avoiding those holiday pounds while getting some fresh air

A friend complained recently that he showed up to a spinning class and the instructor didn't seem, well, fit. He wanted a leader with enough stamina to go as hard as everyone else in the class, while also bellowing instructions. But this spinning instructor had a pretty leisurely pace. And, unlike other spinning instructors, he didn't yell at all.

This disappointed my friend, who expects to be berated in a spinning class.

That brings me to holiday weight gain — specifically how going outdoors helps me avoid weight gain around the holidays. Meanwhile, I'm patting my turkey-and-pie-padded stomach and thinking about my qualifications. Am I like the spinning instructor, perhaps a little out of my league? Or, even though there's a little more of me this time of year, am I still OK to write about preventing weight gain?

We all know that putting on a few pounds is all-but inevitable around the holidays. My approach is less about calorie counting and anxiously stepping on the scale than it is about minimizing the gain by having fun outside.

That doesn't sound bad, right? And I don't even need to yell.

Run on empty

I think my brain has a sweetheart deal with Christmas cookies and pies. At some point, they decided to make sure I consume as much sugar as possible during the holidays. My brain seems committed to telling me I need more pie, or I might expire.

As I'm recklessly stuffing cookies in my face, I've thought of everything from, "This is critical carbo-loading for that race I'll do sometime in the future", to "the slice of pie I had before this was so tiny it didn't even count … THIS one puts me in the league of a normal human-sized serving, which I deserve."

ADVERTISEMENT

In the morning, of course, I wake up and wonder what I've done. That sugar lobby part of my brain is nowhere to be found, replaced by guilt and the vague fear I won't be able to fit into my pants next week.

Here's what's cool, though. All that energy makes exceptional running fuel. One of the best things to do the morning after an overly extravagant meal is go for a run before breakfast. I have plenty to work with, of course. And instead of converting all the extra calories to fat immediately, I have a handy way to burn off a bit while making myself a little more physically fit.

An hour-long, slow run is also a great way to reset. Instead of focusing on feeling guilty, I have an opportunity to do something proactive. As always, filling my brain with outdoor sights and sounds is much healthier than focusing on regret.

I love that feeling of bundling up right after coffee, but before breakfast, and heading out with a podcast or some good music. Cold air wakes me up and keeps me motivated to keep moving. After a mile or so, I hit my stride and feel strong. The crunching of my footsteps combined with the sharp air on my face and low winter sunlight is an ample reward. For me, this morning-after run is as much a part of the holidays as pie.

Focus on activity

When it's really cold outside, as it has been the last two weeks, it can be hard to motivate. Maybe an hour of anything outside is too long. My trick is to just do what I can to stay active. It need not be highly aerobic, but whatever I'm doing should be done outside.

I'll go for a quick, 15-minute walk in the middle of the workday. I'll put on every item of clothing I own and go ice skating after work. I'll walk downtown to meet a friend instead of driving.

How does a brief, noncardio getaway outside help prevent holiday weight gain? In this case, it's not really about calories in versus calories out so much as the mental reset of spending time outdoors, making that push to leave the comfort of the house or office. When I'm proactive about making sure I have some time outside, I feel better in my body and able to make good decisions about what I eat.

Be OK with a little gain

Finally: it's the holidays. I know I won't be the only one muttering some kind of resolution after the New Year about getting back into fighting shape.

The trick is to not let pounds accumulate over the years. So, I figure, I can get a little pudgier in December so long as I atone for it later.

Maybe that makes me like the spinning instructor: too lenient. Maybe I don't offer enough tough love to be qualified to write ways to prevent holiday weight gain. I like to think of it more as taking the long view — and eating cookies along the way.

Alli Harvey lives, works and plays in Anchorage

Alli Harvey

Alli Harvey lives in Palmer and plays in Southcentral Alaska.

ADVERTISEMENT