It’s Not What You Eat Between Christmas & New Year
Merry Christmas ‘tis the season to be jolly…and eat plenty, as they say.
As you may already know, the holiday is a time for families & friends to reunite and enjoy their time in giving gifts, receiving presents and of course eating! With all of the meals & buffets prepared, it can get quite difficult to maintain a healthy weight over the holidays. On average, we tend to gain about one pound per year and based on research, most of this weight is gained during the holiday season.
But, did you know that you can actually still enjoy the Christmas & New Year Buffet without feeling like you are going all in?
Yes, you can avoid losing control of your eating and/ or gaining weight even through this festive season.
How? Well, studies have shown how behavioural intervention can help in preventing weight gain over Christmas. This intervention included three components – one is regularly weighing & recording their weight, two is providing weight management strategies and three is identifying the physical activity required to burn off calories consumed during holidays. And, it proved to work just fine!
Even more, here are some other helpful tips on how you avoid gaining weight over the holidays.
Quick Tips on How to Avoid Gaining Weight over the Holidays
#1 Stick to your meal routine. Try your best to eat the same time each day.
#2 Avoid Floating Caloreis. As much as possible, try to reduce your excessive fat & sugar intake by avoiding sugary drinks, cream sauces ect.
#3 Walk it off! For a healthy balance, aim to walk 10,000 steps in each day. This helps burn off some of the calories you take.
#4 Choose a healthier snack. Instead of going for those with high sugar like chocolates & high fat like chips, choose to eat the healthier options like fresh fruits & low-calorie yogurt. Even with your drinks, choose water instead and do limit alcohol!
#5 Caution with your portion. Be mindful not just with what you eat, but more so on how much you eat. As much as possible, think twice before having second servings!
#6 Remember the 5-a-day rule. Don’t forget to eat at the least 5 servings of fruits & veggies each day! Get nutrition!
#7 Focus on eating when eating. When eating, just eat. Don’t eat in front of your TV while watching a movie. Focus on the food. Otherwise, you’ll be eating more than you may know.
You can also mark all of your upcoming holiday events in the calendar so that you’ll be able to think & plan ahead. If you know you have a family dinner to attend to, you can opt to go for a lighter meal in the morning & in the afternoon. If the celebration is in the afternoon, you can plan to go for a lighter meal at night. Mark your calendars & plan ahead! Nutrition & diet isn’t just about working hard, but working smart.
So, do the best that you can to prepare & plan ahead for the upcoming holidays to avoid losing your shape & gaining weight. You can always have fun & enjoy your buffets without exceeding your limitations.
Read more on diet & nutrition here: https://fitwitheik.com/blog/how-to-get-good-at-nutrition
Hope this prepares you for the holidays & I do wish you a bright & very merry Christmas!
Holiday Cheers,
Coach Eik
