Halloween Can Kill Your Diet

Local NH fat loss expert Nancy Carlson PFT, YFS, has information that every dieter needs to know: Halloween is when the holiday weight gain really starts. While the month of December is typically blamed for holiday weight gain, Carlson warns those wanting to lose weight that thanks to Halloween the pounds actually start to get packed on in late October. “The amount of eats and treats that people consume is alarming,” Carlson was quoted as saying. “One of the main problems is the smaller ‘snack sizes’ that the candy manufacturers have made available. Eating several ‘mini’ chocolate bars is something people see as ‘ok’ because of their smaller size. In other words, it becomes a lot easier to convince yourself to indulge in these gut-swelling goodies and then you end up eating even more than before!” Carlson recommends the following three figure-saving tips she has used with great success with her own clients for keeping the pounds off while still allowing for the occasional Halloween treat during pumpkin season:
1) Workout with Pumpkins: It doesn't take a bunch of fancy equipment – you can engage in some amazingly fun and effective seasonal fat loss workouts involving only your body weight and you guessed it… a pumpkin! These high-intensity, metabolism-boosting workouts will have you burning tons of calories during the workouts AND even more calories while you’re resting... or having those naughty Halloween treats!
2) Make Healthier Halloween Recipes: You can still enjoy the holidays without loading up on the extra calories. Nancy's most popular Halloween recipe is her Pumpkin Pecan Shake loaded with muscle-building, fat-starving protein plus the optimal dose of healthy fats, fruit, and fiber for a “complete better body meal.” It is imperative to be able to think outside the box by substituting healthier ingredients where possible without overly sacrificing the taste you crave for a more figure-friendly Halloween.
3) Use Common Sense: - Only buy enough candy so that you expect to run out before the evening is over. It’s crucial to weight loss success to not have “trigger” foods lying around – the temptation is often too great. - Allow yourself just one piece of candy in the morning and then one at night. Skip any desserts that you would normally eat after dinner. Also, be sure to increase your exercise activity by thirty minutes on every day that you eat your two pieces of candy. This will counteract the increase in calories that you are consuming. - Furthermore, if people indulge a bit too much it’s important to forgive themselves and move on. Dwelling on the past will not help their success. Carlson believes that we must break out of the frustrating emotional eating patterns that sabotage our fat loss efforts during the holidays. She states: “Our brains are wired to crave the sugar-laded treats that typify the Halloween season. So, our approach has been to take the exact opposite approach with our clients. Instead of using Halloween as a reason to justify eating a bunch of junk food we spin the seasonal event to spice up our boot camp workouts by using pumpkin exercises. Halloween thus becomes a fat loss tool for us and our clients- this approach is key to adopting a healthy lifestyle for long-term success.” Carlson's local “Get Fit NH” bootcamp (http://www.GetFitNHbootcamp.com) will be holding their annual
“Freaky Fat Loss Workout” on Friday, October 31st  at her studio in Epsom. The event features a fat loss workout, using pumpkins, that Carlson claims will “scare the fat off of your body.” If you want to be part of this fun event, and get a great workout, email Nancy for more information at nancycarlson@cr8health.com


# # #

Nancy Carlson is the co-owner of Cr8 Health & Fitness, and a Certified Personal Fitness Trainer and Youth Fitness Specialist. As a busy mom of six, she understands what it takes to integrate a healthy lifestyle into a hectic schedule. Nancy is also a fitness boot camp instructor and runs the highly popular Get Fit NH Bootcamps (http://www.GetFitNHbootcamp.com) with her husband and co-trainer Dean in Epsom, NH.

Name*:
E-mail*:
Captcha*:
Text*: