Battle of the Holiday Bulge

[Brian A.]

Just thought I would share a brief article I wrote for a local paper last year. Nothing terribly insightfull, but people found it ammusing. Anyway, enjoy and have a Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Merry Kwanza, and Happy anything else I might have missed.

The Battle of the Holiday Bulge
By Brian Ayers CSCS

Phones ringing, meetings to attend, you’re constantly on the move as you multi-task your way through your daily life. All the while, buried beneath all of those many tasks a war rages, playing a more important part in our lives that we realize. On one side, there is fast food media marketing machine and all of its nutritionally horrible yet conveniently speedy food options that are an unending barrage directly on our weaknesses and cravings. On the other, there is that small voice somewhere inside that keeps trying to get you to eat healthy foods and find the time to workout.

This endless skirmish carries on through out the year as we battle at the front lines of a war against those nasty imposing pounds. However, this week feels different some how. You can’t quite put your finger on the origin of the uneasy feeling you are experiencing like some type of extrasensory warning. You’ve been too busy to notice the days growing shorter, and now you find yourself scraping a bit of frost off your windshield in the morning, but what could it mean? It’s not until you walk into your local department store and notice the over abundance of red and green clad sparkling decorations that the source of the lingering dread is reviled to you. “THE HOLIDAYS!!!!,” you exclaim in terror. That’s right, the holidays are bearing down on you like a big, fat, spare tire express train set to hit you square in your mid section. Bringing with it all of those horribly wonderful confectionary delights that year after year demolish your best lines of defenses. You cringe as you realize that once again you are tied to the tracks helpless to avoid the inevitable impact of that egg nog, cookie, and pumpkin pie fueled locomotive and its subsequent destruction of your months of hard work. Struggling momentarily against the strings of sparkling lights and tinsel that bind you, you think, “Maybe this year I can escape to somewhere without a holiday season.”

As reality sets in, you begin to accept the almost certain loss of ground at your battlefront. Bracing for collateral damage at the waistline, you begin planning the “New Years Resolution Campaign” that seems to be less successful in advancing your troops each year. Just as you’ve lost hope and are ready to embrace your unavoidable fate with a huge box of Christmas cookies, a dynamic duo swoops to your rescue. No, it’s not Batman and Robin, although that would be cool. The dynamic duo that I speak of is Exercise and Moderation. These two mild mannered words hold the key to your salvation.

Armed with the power of your two new secret weapons you attack this holiday incursion head on. You realize that all of those Yule time treats can’t hurt you as long as you practice Moderation, and with regular Exercise burning calories for you and keeping your muscle tissue working at it’s metabolic best, those fat deposits don’t have a chance! So this year as you navigate through the minefields of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah, and New Years, do so with the confidence that victory is well within your grasp as long you keep Exercise and Moderation at your side.

[OldGuy]

Nice article, Brian. Thanks for sharing.

And only 38 posts since August? You need to get more involved here.

Actually, we need you to get more involved.

Merry Christmas.

[Brian A.]

Thanks OG. I've been trying to visit here as much as I can, but I've been busy at work and also getting my own home training business together. I've been working with a web design guy to get my site together and hopefully it will be launched next week. I will definetly post it for opinions.

Even though I haven't posted a lot, I've definetly been reading a lot. You all seem very knowledgeble and insitefull and I enjoy everyone's viewpoints.

[castufari]

Nice one, I might tape that to the fridge at work.

[Marykaa]

Thanks BRIAN ! I'd need to print that and read it mid-party.. LOL..

last night did ok on the supper and danced alot.. but could have done much better on the "late night buffet".. will power is weak at the wee hours of the night when we're tired.

tonight I'll try to get out for at least a walk with my brother and the others after supper..

[Q.]

NOW you tell me!!! Part of the reason that I'm really not fond of this time of year is the abundance of temptation and the lack of discipline I find in myself... coooooookiiiiiiies........

[Brian A.]

Yea, I woke up this morning groaning after pretty much stuffing myself for two days. I think I got it all out of my system though because the sight of a cookie this morning makes me ill, as does the sight of the bathroom mirror and my newly replaced gut. Oh well, happens every year, I'll be back to normal by mid February.

[ichbinba]

yeah.. the first 3 parties I was so proud because I made it through eating in moderation, and felt great... the last 3... well, january workouts are going to be harder than the morings spent in the bathroom after the parties! ha