Avoid Holiday Weight Gain With These 8 Tricks
by Aaron Ivey ATC, CSCS
Most everyone has concerns about gaining weight during the holiday season. It’s so easy to eat a couple hundred extra calories with all of the guilty pleasures that we enjoy. Gifts of candies, cookies, pies, brownies, egg nog… What do you do to make sure you don’t pack on the extra pounds you have been working so hard to burn? Here are a few tricks.
1. Be Fair With Yourself
It’s not realistic to think that you are not going to indulge a little in the holiday sweets. That would be setting yourself up for failure. We are supposed to have fun and enjoy family and friends this time of year. Allow yourself to cheat once in a while. But remember, moderation is the key. Don’t over-indulge.
2. Workout Before Your Gathering
A good interval training workout or circuit training workout the morning of your bash will help to rev up your metabolism for the day and maybe even make up for some of your “small” indulgences. You will also feel better about having worked out and know that you stuck with your weight loss plan.
3. Eat Before You Go
That doesn’t mean you get full before leaving the house. Eat a nutrient rich healthy snack before you leave the house. That way you won’t arrive starving and will be less tempted to overdue the appetizers, which usually are worst part for your weight loss efforts.
4. Serving Size Matters
Remember your portion sizes. Choose a variety of foods but don’t let your Aunt Betsy pressure you into putting more on your plate than you need because she says you are getting too skinny. Start out small. You can always go back for more vegetables later.
5. Start With the Vegetable Tray First
Load your plate up with vegetables, green salad and an appropriate dressing. If your plate is at least half full of healthy foods then you will have less room for the pound packing gravy.
6. Eat Slowly
It takes some time, about 20 minutes, before your stomach will get the signal to your brain that it has had enough. So don’t rush. Enjoy the time talking with family and friends that you may not have seen for a while or help some of your older relatives get their plate. That will buy you some time for your stomach to catch up.
7. Drink Plenty of Water
Be sure to drink a large glass of water well before it’s time to dish up your plate. This will help you start off with the feeling of being full and be less tempted to fill your plate with blood sugar spiking foods that you crave. You should also drink plenty during your meal. Take some time every few bites to take a few big swallows. Again, fill your stomach with water and vegetables and you won’t crave the sweet stuff as much.
8. Enough is Enough
Know when to say “I’ve had enough.” Stick to it and don’t let anyone else pressure you into eating more because they need to feel better about how many times they’ve been to the buffet table.
Following these simple but effective tips will help you stay on track and feel good about yourself. It doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in moderation. Just make sure that moderation is not out of your control. Good luck and happy holidays.