Most women claim that it’s difficult to build a good relationship with food during the holiday season. There are so many delicious meals and drinks that many of us forget about our healthy eating habits and weight loss goals. I’m not telling you to starve yourself during the festive season. I just want to share my simple eating tricks with you so that you could eat whatever you want without doing serious damage to your waistline. Look at the list of eating tricks to avoid holiday weight gain and pick your favorite ones.
After a weekend of indulging in Thanksgiving dinner leftovers like pie, butter-soaked rolls, and stuffing, I decided I needed to step away from the food and refocus on healthy habits.
Even though the average American only gains between one and two pounds between Halloween and New Year’s, those pounds are hard to lose. In fact, roughly 75% of annual weight gain takes place during the holiday season.
Plus, if you put on just two pounds a year over the course of 10 years, you’ll gain 20 hard-to-lose pounds! This is what experts refer to as “creeping obesity” and unless you can avoid holiday weight gain, you’ll be hard-pressed to avoid the creep.
Eat with pleasure
Instead of eating for pleasure, learn to eat with pleasure. Many women see food as a nice treat or tasty reward, and it’s one of the reasons why they put on weight during the holiday season. Yes, you do shopping, worrying about money, decorate your Christmas tree and house, cook, bake, and do lots of household chores. However, it doen’t mean that you are allowed to stuff yourself with fatty foods that are high in calories and unhealthy fats. When you eat with pleasure (but mindfully!), you eat slowly and reach for healthy meals that are low in fat, empty calories and high in essential nutrients your body needs to stay healthy.
Eat slowly
Eating with pleasure and eating slowly go hand in hand. When you eat slowly, you enjoy your food and avoid overeating. Overeating is a huge problem during the holiday season. It leads to a slower metabolism and fast weight gain. Try to eat slower (especially cookies and desserts) on Christmas dinner to boost your metabolism and feel satisfied sooner. Your brain needs about 15 minutes to get the signal that your stomach is full. Eating slowly is actually a good habit to develop, no matter the season. It will help you maintain a healthy weight all year round.
Chew your food thoroughly
We usually put food in our mouths, chew several times, and quickly swallow. This habit may do more harm than good. First of all, you don’t get essential nutrients that your body needs to function properly. Plus, you increase your risk of weight gain. When you chew your food thoroughly, you absorb more useful nutrients from it and avoid overeating. Whether it’s a Christmas dinner or a huge Christmas party, aim to eat mindfully and slowly to stay slim and healthy this festive season.
Don’t eat when you are stressed
The holiday season often brings lots of stress, whether you want it or not. Endless shopping lists, tight budget, debts, wrapping gifts, decorating the house, cooking the Christmas dinner, baking lots of Christmas cookies for kids, parties, guests…there are many things that can cause stress. Before eating your meal or going to a Christmas party, be sure to relax and clear your head. Stress is a culprit in compulsive overeating, so learn to fight stress in a healthy way. Take a short nap (if you have time), do some exercises, go for a walk, or simply take a few deep breaths before eating. You will feel fuller faster and find that you eat less.
Let’s be honest, most of us look at the Christmas dinner or party as a tasty food event. Some people forget that it’s important and fun to spend time with their family and friends. They come, eat and go home when there’s nothing delicious to eat. Unfortunately, that’s the truth of a modern life. One of the best ways to avoid holiday weight gain is to enjoy your Christmas dinner or party to the fullest: play board games, tell funny stories, build snowmen, have a snowball fight or watch a Christmas movie.
Avoid drinking too much alcohol
The holiday season is full of delicious alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. If you are trying to stay slim, your choice should be non-alcoholic drinks. While a glass of red wine is okay, don’t reach for those cocktails that are high in calories. Opt for a black or green tea, or a plain water. I know it doesn’t sound tasty, but it’s healthy and diet-friendly.
Choose diet-friendly cookies and desserts
If you bake yourself, use diet-friendly ingredients in your Christmas cookies and cupcakes. Look for some quick and easy dessert recipes online so that you know they won’t wreck your diet. If you attend a party, it’s hard to know which dessert is low in calories, so one or two desserts will be enough for you. Or, bring your own cookies instead.
With an abundance of delicious meals and desserts
It’s not easy to stay slim during the holiday season. You should have lots of patience and self-control to make healthier choices and avoid temptations. Just remember the festive season isn’t about food, it’s a bout spending a quality time with your family and friends and have lots of fun together. What are your tricks to avoid holiday weight gain?
Stay Trim on a Trip
Hello, vacation! You’re ready to kick back and relax, maybe sip a few margaritas by the pool. Heaven, right? Until you step on a scale and realize you’ve toted home more than just kitschy souvenirs. About two-thirds of frequent travelers say that exercising and eating healthy while on the road is stressful, according to a TripIt survey. So what’s a weight-conscious jetsetter to do? Follow these 10 simple strategies when you’re planning your next getaway.
Book accommodations with a kitchen.
Rent a condo or hotel room with a kitchen, mini-kitchen or at least a mini-fridge (which may cost a small fee), so you can stock healthy foods. “Then, you can eat some of your meals in, which can be healthier since restaurant meals tend to be larger and higher in calories,” says Molly Morgan, a sports specialist dietitian in Vestal, NY, and author of The Skinny Rules. Since dining out’s part of the fun, Morgan suggests eating breakfasts and lunches in your room and heading out for an occasional dinner.
Do some restaurant research.
If you know where to get good-for-you eats before you go, you won’t be stuck with the first (inevitably unhealthy) place you see when hunger strikes. “Often, you can review nutrition data and determine if a particular restaurant offers menu items that fit your healthy intentions,” Morgan says. Check airport restaurants too, and if you’re traveling by car, guesstimate where you’ll be stopping for gas and search online for nearby restaurants with healthy options, like Subway and Panera. To find other healthy eateries, download apps like HealthyOut and Restaurant Nutrition to your smartphone; they’re free on iTunes.
Travel in your sneakers.
People give every excuse in the book for not exercising while traveling, but the one Glor’s heard most frequently: “I didn’t pack my sneakers.” By wearing tennis shoes on the plane, train or bus or in the car, you not only eliminate that excuse but also save suitcase room. Bonus: If you’re flying, you’ll be dressed to log laps in the airport, and if you’re driving, you can walk more when you make stops.
Work out early.
Studies have shown that morning exercisers are most likely to stick with their fitness routine. The same rule may apply for exercising on vacation. “If you can work out first thing in the morning, you won’t mess up everybody else’s schedule,” Glor says. And don’t worry if you can’t slot in time for your regular-length exercise; a shorter workout, even just 10 or 20 minutes, is better than nothing, especially on vacation, where your main goal is to stave off weight gain.
Be an active sightseer.
Even if you can’t fit in a formal workout, you can still toast some calories on active excursions. Go hiking with a pack (to burn about 490 calories in an hour), cycling (to burn about 420 calories) or rock climbing (to burn about 563 calories). Even better, book a resort where activity is a priority. Glor recently opted for a bikini boot camp–themed resort, and seeing other people do yoga, kayak and play beach volleyball made her want to join the fun. Or locate a tour operator that offers running (or biking) tours of your destination, so you can sweat off vacation goodies while learning about the area.
Step it up.
You know you should take stairs over elevators, but make that even more challenging on vacation by requesting a hotel room on a high floor. Then, use the stairs as much as you can. Also, ask for a room farthest from the elevators. “It cuts down on noise so you sleep better (and better sleep equals better fitness), and you walk more during your stay,” Glor says. Other ways to rack up the step count: Choose restaurants within walking distance and hoof it to attractions whenever possible.
Numerous hotel chains, including West in offer these. There’s a hidden bonus: “Jogging through a new area, once I confirm it’s safe, is the best way to get to know a destination step by step, editor-in-chief of Trip a travel lifestyle publication for aspiring jet setters. If your hotel doesn’t offer maps, download an app like Map My Fitness or Walk Jog Run to find routes.
Choose Nutrition:
Exercise may help keep you healthy and trim, but weight management really comes down to what you put in your mouth. Prevent holiday weight gain by following these holiday nutrition tips:
Host Your Own Party
The great thing about hosting your own holiday party is that you can control what foods and beverages you serve. Instead of white rolls and fruity, calorie-laden cocktails, you can stick to whole wheat rolls and wine. Apply this same healthy focus to all of your party appetizer recipes and you can feel good about letting yourself indulge.
Bring Your Own Dishes
It’s considered common courtesy to bring a side dish or two to a party. However, instead of bringing Christmas cookies or pie, bring a healthy salad or chocolate-covered strawberries. Fill your plate with the main course and your own side dishes and you’ll know you’re eating healthy.
Start With Soup or Salad
Studies have shown that you eat less during a single sitting if you start the meal off with a water-based soup or a green salad. If you don’t think your hosts will serve soup or salad at their holiday event, eat some before heading out the door.
Use caution when adding toppings. A tortilla soup loaded with tortilla strips and sour cream, or a salad drenched in creamy dressing won’t help you lose weight.
Trade Holiday Events for Eating Out
Americans eat out an average of four times a week, but they get roughly 1/3 of their weekly calories from these meals. If you dine out regularly and also hit the Christmas party circuit, you can easily overindulge.
This holiday season, trade one special meal for another by substituting your holiday parties for your restaurant routine. If your work buddies have a holiday soiree, skip the fast food and bring a brown bag lunch that day. This doesn’t mean you can go nuts when you hit the party, it just means that you have one more opportunity to balance your calorie intake during the holiday season.
Only Eat What You Really Like
I’m a sucker for chocolate chip cookies and anything that combines mint and chocolate, but I couldn’t care less about pies, cakes, or other holiday candy. When I hit a party, I have no problem letting myself enjoy the treats I really love, but I always pass on those I don’t. What’s the point in wasting calories on something you don’t feel strongly about?
Studies have shown that people often overeat when they have more options available than when the options are limited. Don’t rely on others to limit your options. Do it yourself by only eating the foods you really like.
Make healthy choices during the holidays:
Diet and exercise are the two main factors to consider when it comes to avoiding holiday weight gain. However, stress and lack of sleep can also contribute to overeating, lethargy, and weight gain. Be sure to take steps to reduce your stress level and to make sure you get enough sleep.
Some healthy habits to take up this holiday season include:
Maintain Your Sleep Schedule
Just because you have more opportunities to stay up late and party doesn’t mean you should. Go out and have fun, but call it quits early enough so that you can get plenty of sleep. Aim for at least seven hours of sleep each night.
Watch What You Drink
Yes, you should watch your liquid calorie intake, but what you drink can also affect the quality of your sleep. Drinking too much alcohol or caffeine can interrupt your sleep and leave you feeling worn out the next day. Remember, moderation is key!
Give Up On “Perfect”
Holiday stress management is important. Striving to make Christmas “perfect” for yourself or your family is a nice goal to have, but it creates a lot of pressure. Who needs that kind of stress? Go ahead and aim for “great,” but realize that sometimes “good enough” ends up being a healthier option for you and everyone around you.
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