Pass the Pound Cake!

You might be feeling a little bloated and wondering why your pants are feeling a wee bit snug. You’ve probably even started feeling a little bit of food remorse. If you’re not sure, there are some common symptoms you can look out for.

Top Ten Signs You’ve Put on Some Holiday Weight:

1. During your annual family outing to Roo Island, you break your seat on the Merry Go Round.
2. You overhear other Neopets at the Giant Omelette whispering about how you skip that day.
3. You sink while searching for Buried Treasure.
4. You’re spending too many Neocola tokens in the Neocola Machine. Admit it. You have a problem.
5. The gelert working at the snack counter at Movie Central asks you if you’re sure about that extra butter topping on your popcorn.
6. You’re given a frequent spender card for Kiko Lake Treats.
7. You break the Test Your Strength machine, and it wasn’t with the mallet either.
8. You find yourself unusually drawn to the Chocolate Factory, and spending way too much time in the Bakery.
9. Your pants are so tight they popped a button and a seam on the back ripped open (how embarrassing!!)
10. You play Kiss the Mortog and the Mortog runs away.

Don’t panic, this is totally normal. It’s very difficult to avoid the temptations of all the Christmas goodies around you over the holidays. As a result of the overeating, most Neopians experience these symptoms every year in the month of Sleeping. Fortunately, it’s also the perfect time to make a New Year’s resolution to get back into a healthy lifestyle.

Whether you want to ease into it or dive in headfirst, there are so many different ways you can get back into tip-top shape in Neopia. Build a routine for yourself. Have a look around and find what works for you. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Post-Holiday Weight Loss Tips:

There are many components to enjoying a balanced and healthy way of life. There are a few key elements that you should focus your energy on.

Lifestyle

With a few small changes to your lifestyle habits, you can make a big difference.

• Get yourself a healthy lifestyle partner. You can find motivation by pairing up with a partner who will help you pursue your goals. Sometimes you may be tempted to give up when you are alone in your endeavors, so having the right partner can help boost your morale. It can also make working out and eating right more fun, so that getting back in shape can become easier.
• Blast upbeat music and boogie while you do your chores in your Neohome.
• Pick up a book to read such as ‘Living a Healthy Neopian Life’, or ‘How to Stay Fit’ for inspiration on your journey to a healthier lifestyle.
• Do you love a good battle? How about a daily visit to the Battledome where you can spend time fighting stronger pets to increase your strength and stamina? You may even earn some cool prizes and trophies along the way.
• How about buying yourself an energetic Petpet? A Puppyblew would be a great companion and requires daily walks that would keep you moving. They also love playing Fetch, which can be great exercise for both of you - all you need is a good stick to throw!

What you eat is the most important part of your healthy living. Put thought into your choices and always go with the healthier option.

• Choose Carrot Cake or Healthy Apple Cake instead of that slice of Remys Chocolate Fudge Cake.
• Try a Veggie Hot Dog rather than a Double Hot Dog or Big Beefy Hot Dog.
• Choose the Healthy Apple Pretzel over the Cheese Covered Pretzel.
• Have a Healthy Veggie Deluxe Sandwich for lunch.
• Don’t go for that second helping for a while.
• Replace the cookies with salad. Just close your eyes and imagine it’s a frosted sprinkle covered Christmas sugar cookie mmmm *drools*. Totally as satisfying.

Exercise can be a fun way to socialize with friends, and working out with others can help keep you motivated. Just about everyone can find a physical activity they enjoy. Here are a few activities you may find fun:

• Visit Mystery Island and take a walk on The Beach each morning.
• Play a game of beach volleyball in Mystery Island and sweat out all that turkey.
• Play a game of Kacheek Seek – burn off some calories while searching for your friends.
• Take part in a match of Tug of War to strengthen those arm muscles.
• Go for a swim in Kiko Lake. Swimming is a great way to get stronger while shedding some unwanted pounds.
• Buy a new shiny Red Bike and go for a ride around Neopia Central - just don’t get distracted by the tempting sweet stores along the way ;)
• How about investing in some exercise equipment to use? You could play with a leather exercise ball to work on your agility. If you don't like the regular exercise ball and want to make it more fun, how about occasionally switching it up with a Symol Exercise Ball. You can even get your Petpet to join in - do you have a Symol? I hear they love them! For a change from exercise balls, you can lift some weights on a workout bench.

Remember not to be too hard on yourself. Set achievable goals and be realistic - do not expect results overnight. You must persevere in living a healthy lifestyle, which includes a balanced diet and regular exercise. Just like anything else, you will see the change over time. Before you know it, you will be back to your fit self and ready to take on the rest of 2016.

Enjoy the rest of your holiday, and Happy New Year to you all!