Avoid Holidays’ Weight Gain

The holiday season is all about celebrating, having fun, indulging in decadent desserts, drinking rich beverages, and enjoying festivities that disrupt your normal eating routine. Most people don’t want to give up any holiday foods, fun, and activities.

You should go ahead and enjoy but also make it a commitment to celebrate in moderation. This commitment is not a form of self-denial but is rather a way to enjoy the indulgences of the season without harming your health.

We understand what a nuisance gaining weight could be, and that’s why we offer you ten smart ways to help you address the issue. Please find these smart tricks and strategies to navigate through holiday party food spreads, hectic schedules, and sidelined gym routines without spoiling the fun and enjoyment:

Prefer Proteins

Proteins play an important role in maintaining and losing weight as they have high satiety value. Some of the tasty high protein food items include turkey, chicken, quinoa, lentils, and beans.

Use Smaller Plates

It has been observed over the years that plate size has a significant role to play in weight loss. Using smaller plates tends to make you full of less quantity of food. So whenever dining out at a restaurant choose the smaller salad plate (7-10 inches) instead of a tray-like one (12 inches or more).

Fix It With Fiber

Fiber is a good natural way to reduce body fat. It does not metabolize fat quicker or more efficiently, but it will help you regulate your weight by decreasing the intake of calories. Snacking on vegetables and high-fiber items like legumes can help keep you fuller, longer and curb cravings for fatty or junk foods.

Have Sweet Moments Without Sugar

Added sugar is very harmful as it increases the risks of cardiovascular diseases and obesity. Stick to natural sugar (fruits, veggies, and whole grains) for taste and reduce the intake of holiday cookies, cakes, and pies only for the time when you’re truly craving!

Carbs- Take It Easy

White carbs like white bread, pastries, and refined sugars (aerated drinks/sodas) can make you fat faster than you’d expect. The science behind this is that the body breaks down simple carbs quickly, which creates a spike in blood sugar that leaves us feeling hungrier much faster.

We suggest you prefer the intake of whole grains instead (brown rice, quinoa, couscous, orzo, etc.) that have the potential to reduce the dangerous excess abdominal fat.

Beware of Booze

Alcohol has a high level of empty calories. Consuming too much of it makes you lose the inhibitions around food and that results in irresponsible eating. To keep your weight loss regime under control, limit your booze intake. Cheers!

Have Water

Drinking water helps you feel full, leading you to consume fewer calories. Having a meal with a glass of water helps in cutting calories. Also, having a good amount of water throughout the day keeps you away from unhealthy munching.

Turn Down the Temptations

Food and eyes have a direct relationship- the more we see food, the higher we tend to consume it. So, face away from the dessert spread to avoid its intake. Excessive curbing can backfire sometimes but eating in moderation can help you get through it effectively. Smartly decide about your cravings to avoid unnecessary binge eating later.

Chew Gum

Popping a piece of sugar-free gum won’t necessarily curb your appetite but would distract you from the unknown popping of food in your mouth as it is already busy. While the long-term effects of gum chewing on weight loss are minimal, studies show it can lower cravings for sweet and salty snacks, and decrease hunger between meals.

Make Room for Healthy Fats

Not only do you need fat in your diet to provide energy and absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, but it also helps you feel full. Get healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats from avocado, nuts, olive oil, applesauce, banana, flax, etc.

Bonus: Say NO to Fad Diets!

Are you also influenced by the latest fad diet trend?? There's always a new diet in trend, be it the popular potatoes diet or the cabbage soup diet. It is always very exciting to believe and try a simple solution to weight issues rather than opting for a traditional one, somewhat like eating healthy and exercising!

So, is it possible to have a quick fix for the weight loss issues without the tags of ‘moderation’ and ‘physical activity?’ Actually, No! Fad diets aren't a long-term solution and here are some benefits of going fad-free

An Opportunity to Lose Weight With All Nutrients

The main focus of fad diets is on the elimination of key food groups, which can set you up for deficiencies in certain nutrients. Going for a cabbage soup diet or gluten-free diet requires you to eat the same thing for an extended period and one food cannot be rich in all nutrients.

Whenever you plan to opt-in for a fad diet you leave behind nutrients that are critical for your health like protein, vitamins, and minerals.

Instead, if you go for a healthy way to lose weight, you are likely to have balanced meals, which will not only help you in achieving the goals on a long-term basis but also provide you all the nutrients that are required by your body!

Realistic and Sustainable Weight Loss

If you say no to fad diets, you can balance the calories you have consumed against the calories you burn from exercise. This is the only method that has been proven by science to be helpful for realistic weight loss and long-term weight maintenance.

Fad diets can help you in losing weight, but only for a short period. Fad diets do only what’s obvious, which is if you have only 500 calories, you are bound to lose weight!

But what is the question of concern here is how long would you be able to continue the same eating pattern? When you say no to fad diets, you can start examining your current eating habits and commit to swap them for healthier ones.

Build a Healthy, Happy Relationship With Your Food

Like all relationships, a healthy relationship with food takes time and it’s not always an easy choice to make. If you say no to fad diets, it is sure that your food fears shall leave you forever someday and you will be escorted to a healthier and a more inclusive relationship with your dietary practices.

You will be free from the worries of what to eat and whatnot, which will ultimately result in enjoying a balanced diet most of the time without feeling guilty.

Gaining weight is easy and losing it is a time taking process. To make your holidays happy and healthy don’t forget to follow these simple tips. While it would be difficult to completely forego all the restrictions, you would still be best placed to use your better judgment and show some restraint yourself.