HAWC pros provide advice for holiday fitness, diet challenges Published Nov. 29, 2012 By Nick Stubbs Thunderbolt editor MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Holiday rushing, places to be and family obligations, airports and highways, not to mention loads of calorie-laden food at every stop, all add up to the annual holiday challenge of maintaining diet and fitness. Diet: The holidays are a time when falling off the wagon is as easy as, well, falling off a wagon. "It's tough," said Susan Haley, MacDill Health and Wellness Center dietician. The temptation to eat too much, or worse, too much of the wrong thing, can be overwhelming, she said. Haley's best advice is to use "common sense," and to "eat what you like." By that she means, focus on the special holiday offerings -- foods you are likely only to see around this time of year, passing on foods you can get any month of the year. "You don't need potato chips, or even mashed potatoes," said Haley. "You can get those things any time." By eating foods you rate as a nine or 10 on your enjoyment scale, and skipping others ranked lower, you end up getting what you want and eating less, said Haley. She also encourages "mindful eating," which is preferred over "mindless eating." A mindful eating strategy might be to park yourself well away from the food table, while mindless eating is what happens if you are sitting within arm's reach of the big spread. If you are hosting a party or gathering, try to concentrate all the food in one place rather than spreading it around the room, said Haley. Hosts may also include some physical activities outside, away from the food and drink. Exercise: The holidays also can play havoc with a person's exercise routine, said Laura Osimo, HAWC health educator. A typical problem might be that gym time might conflict with a party or family gathering that etiquette dictates can't be missed. That's where scheduling comes in, said Osimo. "We usually know ahead of time (when parties and events are being held), so it's just a matter of scheduling your time around them," said Osimo. "The important thing is that you maintain some sort of consistency (in your exercise schedule)." Just as some people eat too many calories and adopt a holiday attitude of "what the heck," I might as well keep eating, some who skip their workouts tend to keep skipping them through the holidays. That's bad news, said Osimo, as while it takes weeks to feel the positive impacts of exercise, it can only take a few days of not exercising to feel the negative impacts of slacking off. "If you work out four days a week normally and can only work out one or two days a week (during the holidays), that's better than none," said Osimo. She also advises working physical activities into holiday gatherings. Playing sports, or even taking group walks burns calories and works the muscles. If there are lots of children around, try to keep pace with them - a workout in itself, she said. Another important thing to remember, whether it be diet or exercise, is to not let the bad habits adopted during the holidays creep over into the new year. "As soon as possible get back to your regular routine," said Osimo. "You don't want there to be big gaps of time between an irregular and your regular routine." The same goes for diet, said Haley, who added that while most people might not gain much weight during the holidays, but what they do gain can be hard to get rid of. "You might only put on 5 pounds, but the problem is that it's hard to get back off unless you work at it," said Haley. In short, when the party's over, it's time to get back to fighting weight. If you don't, that 5 pounds a year turns into 20 pounds in four years, 30 in six... . If the job of getting fit is proving to be too much of a challenge, there's help. The HAWC has several programs, including the Better Body, Better Life fitness program, a running clinic, and the Flat Abs, Deep Stretches program, all of which are free. The HAWC is also gearing up for its annual Walk Your Buns Off event in January, with registration to begin next month. The program gives participants a pedometer that tracks the distance they walk during the month of the event, with tracking done through the web and prizes for those who log the most miles. Call the HAWC at 828-4739 for more information.