Merry Christmas ladies. Have all the fun you can, and remember, calories don’t count during the holidays. Haha, just kidding! Of course, they do! To be fair, no one can blame you for piling on those extra pounds. After all, who there’s all the food that is just waiting to be eaten, all the places and parties to be at. Also, you don’t want to be the self-righteous, party pooper by dishing the “I’m watching my weight” line to make everyone else feel weird.
I read somewhere that the average weight gained during this period ranges from 0.5kg (1 pound) to 2kg (4 pounds) between mid-November to mid-January. If you don’t consider this to be a lot, you should know that the same statistics state that you hardly ever lose that weight. Yup! Now, count how many years you have been an adult for and multiply that. It’s adding up!
But, you can try to avoid all that binging and gobbling up the milk and cookies that your kids left out for Santa. And in turn, avoid the holiday weight. Here’s how.
Remain Active
If hitting the gym and exercising has been your thing, you should not take any breaks, whatsoever. Keep your practice this period and keep your date with the gym. If it hasn’t been, now is the time to pick it up. Find 30 minutes at the start of the day to jog a distance or run the treadmill. It really does make a difference.
Another fun way to add this into the holiday is to make it a family thing. You all can go on a long long walk, go on a hike, organize a race or sign up for a community fitness activity. Try to get everyone to stay fit.
Snack Consciously
Distractions can cause us to eat a lot. Multitasking eaters tend to consume a lot more than people that dedicate time for their food. Try to leave the food alone when doing other chores. Don’t eat while cooking. Or while doing laundry. Or while going on a grocery run. Just because there’s a lot of food lying around this period does not mean you should eat it all without pacing yourself.
A great way will be to hide all the sugar and treats. And if you must snack, snack on the nuts and fruits and the very healthy homemade snacks.
Control Your Portions
Because there is a lot of food available does not mean you should overload your plate. Eat normal-sized portions and eat them at normal times. No midnight snacking is allowed. And no eating six times a day.
Limit Liquid Calorie Consumption
Alcohol is a sure and fast way to get a dad bod. With the potbelly to go with it. It is not “evidence of good living”. It is definitely weight gain that will come to bite you and your liver in the butt someday. Alcohol on its own has even been linked to increased appetite. So the more you drink, the more you want to eat and the higher your weight gain.
Also, limit other high-calorie liquids like soda and sugary drinks.
Watch Your Desserts
At this time of the year, desserts become almost like normal food and you cannot escape it. Try not to eat every single one. Pick out your faves and make a conscious effort to stop after a certain point.
Healthy Food Substitutes
Little changes like using butter instead of oil can make a difference. Reduce diary, load up on fibre to increase bowel movement and make sure your food is more protein than carbs.
You can have a great holiday while staying healthy. You just need to make a conscious effort to do so.
Remember, your hot girl summer body is made in the winter! Lol.