Holiday weight gain is a myth, right?
Think again! Studies show that people do put on weight between the end of October and New Years. But did you know that it can take more than 5 months to lose the weight you put on during the holidays?
It’s perfectly okay to indulge this time of year. And it is possible to still enjoy the holidays without packing on the pounds.
Learn how to avoid weight gain this holiday season with these 8 healthy and easy-to-follow tips!
1. Remind Yourself of Your Goals
Do your pants always feel a little snugger during and after the holidays?
Make this holiday season different. Each day, set an intention that focuses on feeling and being healthier. You can do this by writing it down in your journal, on a post-it note, or by repeating it to yourself.
If you make an honest effort to stay healthy this season, reward yourself with a present. By getting in the spirit of the season, you can avoid holiday weight gain from the get-go.
2. Don’t “Save Your Appetite”
Have you ever woken up on a day where you knew you’d be attending a feast and decided you’d skip breakfast and lunch?
Saving your appetite may seem like a logical approach so you can pile the food on your plate later on. But by doing so, you set yourself up to binge eat later on.
Instead of saving your appetite on Thanksgiving or Christmas day, eat breakfast. Eat a light lunch. Incorporate protein in your breakfast and lunch so you stay full throughout the day. That way, you eat a proportionate dinner and stay within your daily caloric intake.
3. It’s All About Balance
You may feel tempted to count calories this holiday season. But if you focus more on balance, you won’t have to.
Protein should be the focus of every plate you eat from during the holidays – and every day for that matter. Go for the lean turkey, the fish, or the roasted chicken. If you know you’ll be eating steak or meatballs on Sunday, skip the cheeseburger on Wednesday.
Chances are there will be a lot of carbohydrates circulating around. Before you choose the potatoes and the warm, buttery rolls, go for a green vegetable or the salad instead.
When there is room on your plate for more, choose squash over potatoes. They pack fewer calories and carbohydrates than other starches. Choose sweet potatoes over white – and skip the sugar and butter.
Don’t be afraid to indulge in a little bread, either. Have a roll on Christmas. Have a piece of Challah during Hanukkah. It only becomes a problem when you eat all bread and nothing else of substance.
4. Incorporate Healthy Fats
Milk and butter are staple ingredients in a lot of festive dishes and desserts. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways around this.
After all, we do need the right kinds of fat for a healthy diet. We’re talking polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats that we get from things like:
- Avocadoes
- Nuts
- Olive oil
- Seed butters
- Almond milk
Skip the butter and whole milk and replace them with these substitutes. You should also be wary of margarine or any type of spread that’s marketed as “light” or “low fat”.
5. Serve Up the Main Course Restaurant-Style
If you’re hosting a big dinner this holiday, serve it up restaurant-style. It may be a change of pace for your family. But having everyone fix their plates in the kitchen is the way to go.
The change in the dynamic can help everyone keep their portions in check. They’ll also be better able to gauge when to go for second helpings. Plus, they won’t have a gooey casserole or a warm basket of bread staring at them throughout dinner.
6. Choose Fibrous, Healthy Snacks
The snack table is inevitable at the annual Christmas party for work. It’s true that snacking – in addition to the main course – will make it easy to exceed your daily caloric intake. But if you snack on the right foods, you won’t have to worry about that.
Fiber is the name of the game when it comes to holiday snacking. To avoid holiday weight gain, be all over the vegetable platter.
Choose legumes and nuts before chips and other starchy snacks. And choose the guacamole and the hummus before cheesy, empty-calorie dips.
And to help you keep your portions in check, use small plates instead of trays. It’ll trick your brain into making you feel fuller.
7. Limit the Sugar
Apple pie on Thanksgiving. Sufganiyot during Hanukkah. Christmas cookies. Not to mention, all that wine, champagne, and beer you’ll be sipping on throughout December.
It’s no wonder people gain as much weight as they do during the holiday season. But there are ways to curb weight gain and still satisfy your sweet tooth.
When it comes to alcohol, eat before you drink. Not only will this save you a headache and any potential embarrassment. The feeling of fullness will keep you from overdoing it, which saves calories.
What you drink also matters. Have a glass of wine during dinner. Or, choose a low-calorie option like vodka mixed with cranberry seltzer. Swap punches and juices for lemon-infused water or tea.
For dessert time, be mindful. It’s okay to eat a few small cookies or a slice of pie after dinner. It’s only not okay when you’ve been reaching into the candy bowl all night or when you’ve snacked on cookies all week.
8. Get Moving!
You don’t have to wait until January 1st to enroll in a gym membership. Now is the time to enroll and get in the habit of going to the gym 3-5 times per week.
If you’re not a fan of the gym, ask Santa for yoga lessons this Christmas.
Of course, you can always enjoy winter activities like ice skating and skiing. But not everyone enjoys these activities. And a lot of us prefer snuggling up with a hot chocolate instead of going out in the cold.
Skip the hot chocolate and replace it with tea when you do decide to binge on Christmas movies. But don’t forget to stay moving. Bundle up and go for a walk when it’s not snowing.
Stay busy around the house. Don’t procrastinate on things. Volunteer on the weekends. You can even burn calories while shopping for gifts!
Avoid Holiday Weight Gain This Year
You may have already got a head start on the holiday indulging during Halloween. With Thanksgiving and the holidays right around the corner, now is the time to be proactive.
By following these 8 tips, you can avoid holiday weight gain – and even lose weight. If you want to start living better, you don’t have to wait until the holidays are over. Check out more weight loss and healthy lifestyle tips to help you finish 2018 on the right note!
