Say No to Weight Gain This Holiday Season
It almost seems inevitable that you’ll go into the New Year being heavier than you were before. Holiday weight gain doesn’t have to be a foregone conclusion, however. You can say no to weight gain this holiday season.
How many holiday get-togethers are already on your calendar this year? You know that at most, if not all of them, delicious food and sinful treats will be served. While it isn’t really practical to try to lose weight during the holidays, you can make an effort to keep added pounds at bay.
One of the best ways to avoid gaining weight during the ‘season of eating’ is to drink a full 16-ounce glass of water before eating. If you fill your stomach up with water you’ll be less likely to overeat. Does this mean you won’t be able to enjoy any of your favorite holiday foods? Absolutely not! It simply means you won’t want to eat as much as you would if you hadn’t had the water.
Eat a sensible snack or small, healthy meal before you leave for a party or occasion where there will be fattening foods. Don’t eat so much that you won’t want to eat at all, but enough that it will curb your appetite. Again, by having something healthy in your system already, you’ll be less likely to spurge too much. The less sugary, fattening foods you eat, the less weight will creep onto your body during the holidays.
If you aren’t already, get moving. Start an exercise regime at home. Purchase a few exercise videos, call some friends and have them join you. You can also become involved in outdoor sports. As little as 30 minutes of exercise a day can make a huge difference in maintaining weight or shaping up muscles.
Be sure you eat healthy foods during the rest of the day when you know you have an event to attend. Your daily goal of seven or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day will allow you to fill up with good things rather than things which aren’t so good for you. And if you’ve eaten well throughout the day, eating a small amount of sweets won’t be so bad.
Try to avoid temptation as much as possible. You may not be able to avoid all temptation while at an office party or holiday soirée, but you don’t have to stay right by the food table. Get a small plate instead of a larger one, put on it a few things you’d really enjoy and then move as far away from the food as possible. You can also drink something other than alcohol which has more calories than you might imagine.
The above are only a few ideas to help you say no to weight gain this holiday season. Be creative when it comes to holiday eating. Don’t deprive yourself when it comes to holiday goodies but learn to use moderation to avoid gaining extra pounds this year.
