How to Avoid Gaining Weight During the Holidays
During the holidays it’s almost impossible to refrain from gaining weight. We are busy attending parties or cooking for parties, but either way it’s hard to avoid eating and putting on some extra weight. However if you are strong-willed and looking for ways to avoid gaining weight during the holiday festivities then look no further because here are some helpful hints to get your started!
Stay Active – It’s best to stay active as much as possible. The more active you stay the more calories and fat your body burns. Make it a point to exercise once if not twice a day. You can even invite your family and friends to join you for a run or a nice brisk walk in the neighborhood.
Portion Sizes – Making sure that you control your portion sizes can be difficult when you have a lot of delicious tasting dishes around you. One great tip for when you’re at parties is to use a smaller plate so that you don’t eat too much. By having a smaller plate you can have more control over the portions you put on your plate which means less chances of you eating a ton and putting on weight.
Don’t Stress – During the holidays, many people tend to stress out with the holidays which sometimes means consuming more food. To avoid stressing yourself out, try to relax as much as possible. Make it a point to do something relaxing each day whether it’s going for a swim, a short brisk walk or even doing some yoga. The more you relax, the less stressed you’ll be and the less likely you’ll eat unhealthy snacks and gain weight.
Share a Healthy Dish – If you are attending a party you might not have control over what foods are there so the best thing you can do to avoid eating unhealthy dishes is to bring a healthy dish of your own. You can bring extra so that others may have some as well, but it can definitely be your safety net for eating healthy and preventing yourself from eating other dishes that might not be the healthiest option for you.
Savor Dessert – It can be hard to avoid eating sweet, delicious tasting desserts during the holiday’s but one way you can avoid the amount of sweets you eat is to literally, savor each bite. You don’t have to rush through every single dessert on your plate, just enjoy every bite in small amounts so that you eat less. Another trick is don’t pick up every single dessert you see on a dessert table, just pick the few that you might really like. These tips should help you consume less sugar yet enjoy some sweets.
Skimp on Liquid Calories – Majority of the beverages we consume on a daily basis contain high amounts of sugar which can cause you to gain weight. The best solution for this is to stick to water and avoid beverages like soda and sweetened beverages.
No Processed Food – If you can avoid eating processed food or cooking with processed food then you’ll definitely save yourself from gaining some extra weight. When cooking, try and use natural and fresh ingredients so that you know what ingredients you’re consuming and you can ensure that it’s all healthy, nutritious food.
Skip Second Servings – At holiday parties there’s always tons of food being served, so the best thing to do is avoid going for a second serving of food. Remember stick to one serving and make it a small plate so you’ll definitely avoid racking up calories.
Hopefully these tips will help you to avoid putting on weight during the holidays. Wishing you and your families a happy and healthy holiday season!