The holidays are here. And with them come delicious foods and drink.
You’ll feel tempted to indulge in all that great food and drink. But you know what this means: weight gain.
You can enjoy yourself without feeling like you’re stinting yourself. Follow these 5 tips and you’ll keep the weight off this holiday season.
1. Limit the booze
You know all those delicious holiday cocktails? Well, they really add up calorie-wise! Plus, once you’re snockered, you’re more likely to eat unhealthy foods. But if you must drink at holiday parties, we recommend cutting it back to one or two beverages, making sure to drink one glass of water per every cocktail consumed. If you want to shave calories, then opt for white wine and low-calorie mixers.
2. Make low-fat versions of your favorite dishes
Who says low-fat, healthy versions of comfort foods have to be gross? There’s a lot that you can do to make classic holiday dishes healthier and less caloric. For example, you can use Greek yogurt and whole wheat pasta when making mac and cheese, or serve vegetables with low-fat dip as an appetizer.
3. Exercise more
This is an obvious one, but if you want to eat more food around the holidays, then you should exercise more to compensate! It’s easy to spend an extra half hour at the gym or go for a nice winter stroll around your neighborhood. And whatever you do, don’t get lazy around the holidays and make excuses for not going to the gym – after all, it’s your waistline we’re talking about here!
4. Don’t arrive hungry to holiday parties
Why? Well, it’s obvious – if you’re too hungry, then you’ll wolf
5. Don’t skip meals, do skip sweets
It sounds like a good idea – skipping meals to save up calories to indulge, but it’ll just result in overeating. Furthermore, you’ll want to limit dessert to small portions, and if you want to sample desserts, then take a tiny bite of each one. Just think of your waistline before falling into temptation.
Weight won’t wait
The diet battle is extra tough during the holidays. In fact, research has shown that you naturally begin to gain weight in October, and this weight may take you five months to lose, even with regular exercise. A sensible approach to all the end of the year’s goodies is the best way to you keep the edge in winning the battle.
References
- “10 Ways to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain,” WebMD, September 7, 2017.
- “15 Ways to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain,” Health, November 1, 2016.
- “31 Science-Backed Ways to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain,” Greatist, November 11, 2015.
- “How to NOT Gain Weight During the Holidays,” Nerd Fitness, November 5, 2012.
