A Sticky Situation: 5 Fool-Proof Tips for Sticking to Your Health Resolutions in 2015

Just like that... another year is behind us, and a new one lies ahead. What does this insinuate, of course? Making changes!

For some of us, implementing changes in the New Year is something we dread, but know we have to do. For others (like most of us at Body SymmetryMD ) it's a great time to get back on track with our health, accomplish some new fitness goals and ultimately, achieve a NEW YOU in the NEW YEAR.

Here are 5 fool-proof tips from our Body SymmetryMD wellness squad to help YOU stick to your health resolution(s) in 2015:

1. Take out the trash.
By taking out the trash, we mean get rid of all the junk food in your house. Any chips, popcorn, candy, baked goods, etc. left over from the holidays should go out with the dirty diapers and Christmas wrapper shreds to ensure you aren't tempted to splurge during your new commitment to better health.

2. Get movin' already.
So you've been paying monthly dues for your gym membership...and you haven't seen the inside of that health club since before Halloween. It's time to get back on the treadmill (or Elliptical machine, whichever) for at least 20 minutes a day, 3 times a week (if possible). You didn't gain that holiday weight overnight, so it will take some time to come off... but baby steps towards gettin' back into the gym are definitely key!

3. Burn some extra calories.
If you're one of the millions of Americans who SIT in traffic, SIT at a desk all day, SIT in traffic to get home, only to SIT and relax on the couch after your hard day on the grind, it's time to start incorporating some mini workouts into your day in order to burn some extra calories. Work in a big office complex? Park in the spot furthest from your work entrance and walk the extra few hundred steps. Is your place of employment more than one-story high? Take the stairs to get from the parking deck to your office and forego the elevator whenever you need to get from one floor to another. On the phone a lot? Try walking while you talk to burn calories while getting the job done!

4. Just say, "No."
Admit it. Most of us took a few too many liberties with the homemade pumpkin loaf in the break room and that gourmet cheesecake delivery from Auntie Em and those cute little iced gingerbread cookies we made with the kids (it would be rude not to help eat them, right?!). Well now that the year is behind us, there are no excuses... Just say "NO" to any of those calorie-laden temptations for the sake of not feeling guilty, improving your health and most importantly, for the journey towards a new you!

5. Invest in wellness programs & services that work.
Whether you're in search of a medically supervised weight loss program, affordable nutritional guidance with ongoing support or seeking the newest, non-invasive body contouring techniques available today... wellness facilities like Body SymmetryMD are designed to cater to your individual needs. We're equipped with all the right tools and medical staff to ensure you stick to your health resolutions throughout the start of the New Year as well as your entire 2015. For information about our weight management services & programs click here to visit our official Body SymmetryMD web site NOW.

Here's to a new you in the new year... YOU CAN DO IT!
--Your Body SymmetryMD Wellness Squad

Stuff Those Stockings, Not Yourself: 6 Strategies for Staying Trim This Holiday

Keeping that sleek beach physique or dodging that dreadful holiday weight gain can seem nearly impossible around this time of year. 

Luckily, our Body SymmetryMD wellness squad has a few tips that can help you keep that tummy trim despite the temptations of all that festive fare out there right now.

Here are 6 strategies for staying trim throughout this holiday season:

1. Add extra steps into your routine throughout the day.
See that very last parking spot in the lot, right when you pull into the office? Park there and walk the extra couple hundred yards (you won't break a sweat that easily, so really...it's okay). Oh and that elevator you were going to take to go up one floor for today's weekly team meeting? Pretend it's broken and opt for the stairs instead!

2. Substitute snacks with smarter choices.
Craving a mid-morning snack? Choose the juicy crunch of an apple or veggies with hummus over the empty calories of carb-loaded Cheez-Its. Need a post-lunch pick-me-up? Move away from the macchiato! One 16 oz. serving of sweet coffee drinks like these boasts 34 carbs and 32 grabs of sugar (yikes)! Instead, opt for a cup of antioxidant-rich hot green tea, sprinkled with a dash of cinnamon and a splash of sugar-free caramel syrup. It'll be like having a liquid caramel apple with zero calories...trust us, you'll love this! 

3. Stay hydrated.
Not only does loading up on H2O help you feel fuller longer...it can also aid in digestion, improve your complexion and alleviate headaches! If you're having trouble gulping down enough water, make it more pleasing to the palate by infusing your beverages with cucumber slices, mint leaves or even mandarin orange wedges!

4. Plan ahead.
Have to hit the road early to make an appointment on the other side of town? Wake up 30 minutes earlier to eat breakfast before your commute. Staying at the office later than usual to knock out a month-end project? Pack a cooler full of healthful snacks like cheese cubes, nuts & fresh fruit so you don't somehow end up in front of the break room vending machine after business hours!

5. Skip the sweets.
Sure, avoiding those yummy baked goods your colleague brought to work may be hard to resist, but think about this: Just one 4" square of that decadent delight is loaded with nearly 15 grams of fat, and more than 200 empty calories. It'll take about 20-30 minutes of cardio to burn off that dessert you just demolished... so try to designate time to work out that same day, or simply say no to avoid the remorse (not to mention the gut ache)!

6. Find a weight loss program to help you reach your goals effectively.
Wellness facilities like Body SymmetryMD offer a variety of physician-guided weight management programs as well as body contouring solutions. There's also continuous one-on-one dietary guidance and nutritional support to ensure your personal health goals are realistic and achievable. Enrolling in an effective weight loss program is not only ideal for shedding those excess pounds safely, it's a great way to have accountability throughout your entire waistline-slimming journey.

For more information about our medically supervised weight loss products & services visit our web site or contact us at (844) 277-2444 to get started NOW.

Here's to staying trim & toned this entire holiday season!
--Your Body SymmetryMD Wellness Squad

Don't Let It Go to WAIST: 5 Tips for Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain

Ahh, the holidays...

The particular season when those tempting extra calories are practically everywhere: in frosted cupcakes, break room cookies, jars of candy at your coworker's desk, eggnog cocktails with your best friend for happy hour, or those yummy gourmet chocolates in your stockings (we can't escape them!). 

If you are like most of us during this particular time of year (yes, we too can relate!) you could put on at least pound or two by New Year's Day. If not more.

Here are 5 tips from our Body SymmetryMD wellness squad to help prevent you from overindulging:


1. Don't go there (hungry).

Never go to a holiday party (or leave the house, if possible) when you are starving. Instead, try having a nutritious snack beforehand. If you do arrive somewhere with those nagging hunger pangs, drink some water to fill up before fixing yourself a plate full of goodies or reaching for whatever edibles seem to be within arm's reach.

2. It's "about that PACE, 'bout that PACE..."

Chowing down at your next Christmas mixer or holiday gathering can be looked at much like approaching the infancy stages of a new dating situation-- by TAKING IT SLOW. If you cram in as much as you can in say, half an hour, you chew much faster. Chomping at a much slower pace can actually fill you up with less food throughout the duration of your festivity.

3. Attention, please!
Focus your attention on the multitude of other fun occurrences taking place at your upcoming holiday party rather than just the food. Catch up with those you haven't seen in a while, take some time to enjoy the music (especially if there's a live band or DJ) and definitely scope out the pile o' presents that will be causing an uproar later during the White Elephant gift exchange!

4. Set limits on your libations (and stick to them).
For a variety of reasons, limiting your consumption of alcoholic beverage during a holiday party is a good thing. Not only does setting a limit on what you drink control your caloric intake, it also aids in better self control. Excessive drinking can sometimes trigger us to eat even more... which can be extremely dangerous when you're surrounded by all those delicious homemade dishes
and/or freshly baked sweets!

5. "Buffet" doesn't have to mean "pile your plate sky high."
When dinner at your highly anticipated gathering is served up "buffet style," opt for grabbing the smallest plate available before you line up to throw down. Oh, and try to stick to scooping up the simplest foods on the buffet (fresh veggies, fruit and shrimp cocktail are ideal choices).

To learn more about trimming that tummy effectively and keeping the weight off for good CLICK HERE to visit our web site now.

Here's to enjoying your holiday celebrations without letting it go to WAIST!
--Your Body SymmetryMD Wellness Squad

Putting the SMART Before the Course: 5 Fundamental Ways to Snack Smarter

Maybe you're just a little hungry or bored... or maybe you want an excuse to catch up with a friend and need something for both of you to do. 

So why not have a snack? It seems and sounds innocent enough, right?!

A minor case of the munchies, no matter the reason, can easily snowball out of control because of factors you may not even realize-- like the size of your plate, the type of show you are watching as you eat your snack... or even the timing of when you choose to chomp.

Here are 5 fundamental tips from our Body SymmetryMD wellness squad to avoid having your diet inadvertently derailed by your snacking habits:

1. Funnel food toward your pie hole with a bigger fork (yes that's right, a BIG one).

The size of your eating apparatus can have a serious impact on how much you devour in one sitting. A recent study conducted on restaurant goers showed those who ate from a full plate with really big forks (20% bigger than the average dinner fork at a restaurant) consumed significantly less and left more uneaten remnants on their plates, compared to people who chowed down using much smaller utensils.

2. Avoid munching on something while you're watchin' the tube (especially when you're really into a certain show or movie).

It's definitely a lot more fun to have something sweet or crunchy (or both) to nibble on when you plop down in front of the TV. New research, however, shows that action-packed entertainment could distract you from realizing how much you’re actually putting in your mouth. Studies show that people pig out on a whopping 354 calories worth of snacks on average while watching an action-type of movie, compared to only a measly 21 calories when they're watching a way less exciting program.

3. Scarf down your serving out of a smaller bowl.

The dish you're doling food out of could also have an impact on the actual amount of food you're woofing down. One study revealed that while pouring yourself something as seemingly harmless as cereal (whether you're a grown-up or a child), you’ll serve yourself a much bigger portion if you're using a larger bowl versus a smaller container. 

4. Don't justify junk food... Nosh on something nutritious instead. 
When it comes to eating less garbage (especially when you're at home), the popular saying, "out of sight, out of mind holds true." Researchers have unveiled that we are 3 times more likely to eat the first thing that catches our eyes, as opposed to the fifth option we see. To make it easier on yourself, keep nothing but high-protein snacks and fresh produce within plain site at your domicile to ensure your sudden urge to sample something sweet doesn't go awry. 

5. Beware (or be mindful) of becoming a "creature of habit."
If you're used to polishing off an entire bucket of popcorn at the movies, you may be even more likely to do so if the popcorn doesn't even really taste all that good. One study showed that 'regular movie popcorn eaters' ate the same amount of stale popcorn as as they did fresh popcorn while being entertained by a flick on the silver screen. The 'not-so-frequent popcorn eaters,' however, ate significantly less stale popcorn than fresh. What's this tell us? That our environment sure does have a powerful impact on triggering unhealthy behaviors... like unnecessary eating or failure to control our portions.

If you'd like to learn more about effective ways to lose or maintain your healthy weight CLICK HERE to visit our web site now.

Here's to putting the SMART before the course...no matter what it is we're about to eat!
--Your Body SymmetryMD Wellness Squad