Weight control is tedious in the holiday season, as charming foods and social events surround us. However, you can still implement a few strategies or follow some tips to maintain weight whilst enjoying your favorite treats. Below you can find seven tips to help you control your waistline during the holidays while preserving your festive spirit.
8 tips you should follow to maintain your weight during the holidays
Don’t be too restrictive
Despite sounding counterintuitive, avoiding being too restrictive during the holiday is crucial to prevent bingeing or eating big amounts of food. Instead, enjoy some of your favorite foods in controlled portions. Giving yourself flexibility by including all the foods you like will make you feel more physically and psychologically satisfied and help prevent overeating.
Load up on protein and vegetables
When feasting with your family, don’t forget to prioritize protein and vegetable intake if you want to keep an eye on your waistline. This helps you feel full for longer with fewer calories and makes sure you are loading up on nutrients. Proteins help preserve your muscle mass, which keeps your body strong, while vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, that help your body stay healthy.
Eat regularly
Suppose you want to avoid eating too much. In that case, it is suggested to eat or snack regularly so that you can always maintain your appetite under control and avoid making insensible food choices, which you would otherwise make if you were too hungry to be rational about what to eat.
Keep active
Keeping active is not only a fantastic way to take care of your body and mental health but also a great way to manage your energy balance during the holiday season. This can include gym classes, home workouts, or even long and relaxing walks or bike rides with your loved ones.
Start with small portions.
Our eyes can easily be bigger than our stomachs, especially if surrounded by foods we love. In these instances, we naturally tend to have big portions of these foods, which often makes us feel too full. If you want to keep an eye on your waistline, start with smaller portions instead, and only go for another round if you still feel hungry after finishing what you have on your plate.
Keep some healthy meals in your day.
Tempting foods and drinks certainly characterize holidays. However, we shall not forget that most of them supply sugars and fats and don’t contain many nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, and fiber. It is, therefore, essential to find a balance, and this can be achieved by aiming for at least 1-2 nourishing meals a day made mainly with whole foods. This way, you can still enjoy some of your favorite treats, but you’re also making sure you are getting in some nutrients while limiting the intake of sugars and fats.
Enjoy yourself
Last but not least, don’t forget to enjoy yourself! If you are eating well and exercising all year round, feasting will not ruin your results if the celebrations are only protracted for a few days. However, if you are worried that your weight loss journey may get hindered by the holidays, you can follow the tips above for a more mindful approach to food and still enjoy these joyful moments with your loved ones.
References
Rebello, C.J., Liu, A.G., Greenway, F.L. and Dhurandhar, N.V., 2013. Dietary strategies to increase satiety. Advances in food and nutrition research, 69, pp.105-182.
Slavin, J.L. and Lloyd, B., 2012. Health benefits of fruits and vegetables. Advances in nutrition, 3(4), pp.506-516.
Stice, E., Davis, K., Miller, N.P. and Marti, C.N., 2008. Fasting increases risk for onset of binge eating and bulimic pathology: a 5-year prospective study. Journal of abnormal psychology, 117(4), p.941.
Zendegui, E.A., West, J.A. and Zandberg, L.J., 2014. Binge eating frequency and regular eating adherence: The role of eating pattern in cognitive behavioral guided self-help. Eating