Tips to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

Tips to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

Tips To Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

The holidays are here, and you’ll no doubt find yourself surrounded by festive foods on multiple occasions. Between the tempting treats and the more hectic schedule it can be harder to stick to an exercise program and can lead to higher levels of stress.

It’s easy to see why many people gain a pound or several during the Christmas season. Along with controlling your portions and maintaining a habit of regular exercise, try these following tips to keep holiday weight gain at bay.

1. Maintain a regular sleep and exercise routine.

When you are tired or stressed out, you may either mistake these feelings for hunger or eat to comfort yourself.

2. Limit alcohol.

Alcoholic beverages are festive and tasty, but they contain a lot of calories and little to no nutritional value.

If you want to indulge, try alternating alcoholic beverages with glasses of water to keep from consuming so many calories.

Alcohol lowers your inhibitions, too, which means it might be harder to resist those tempting finger foods after a few drinks.

3. Choose the right party snacks.

If you are hosting the party, you can serve lots of low-calorie goodies such as veggies and dip or fruit arranged on pretty platters.

If you’re at someone else’s party, look for the healthy snacks among the junk food, and don’t stand near the food to chat – it’s too easy to keep reaching for another bite of this or that.

4. Eat slowly.

And not just at parties – every time you eat, your stomach needs time to register the “full” sensation and signal this to your brain.

Slow down and take smaller bites so that as soon as you aren’t hungry anymore, you’ll know it.

5. Pick protein.

Protein helps control your appetite by making you feel full and satisfied for a long time.

Eat plenty of seafood, chicken, turkey, and eggs; yogurt and cheese have the same effect, but check labels for fat and sugar content.

6. Try the six days on / one day off plan.

During the holidays, if you try to deprive yourself of every delicacy and tempting treat that you cross paths with, you are less likely to stick to your eating goals.

However, if you know you have a “cheat day” coming up at the end of the week, passing on that donut or soda today may seem more doable.

You can also use cheat days on days when you have plans to go to a party or out to dinner.

Following the rules most of the time leaves room for the occasional guilty pleasure.

Try these tips to avoid weight gain this Christmas – and save your New Year’s Resolution for something else!