It’s the time for celebration! On average, it’s estimated that most people consume around 6 000 calories on Christmas day alone! That combined with say an extra 500 calories per day in the run up to Christmas can leave many people with a few extra unwanted kilos by the time New Year’s Day arrives.
Already starting with office parties, it’s almost an unspoken rule that when the festivities begin, you are allowed to eat unlimited amounts of food and stop your exercise routine, and consequently start the New Year regretting it.
At the end of the day, December is a special time of the year and the last thing you want to be is miserable as a result of trying “to be good”. A day or two of over-indulgence is not going to cause you to gain a huge amount of weight – it’s when one or two days becomes a week or a month of over-indulgence that your waistline will protest!
Whilst it would be awesome to be able to say that you’ve lost weight over the Christmas period, we have to be realistic. Your chances of gaining weight during the festive season are high. Try to set yourself a maintenance weight.
Though you won’t gain near as many kilos as scaremongers would have you believe, it’s still worth being cautious since evidence suggests that losing the Christmas load is particularly hard.
You can still enjoy the festivities while choosing to stay healthy. So, here are some strategies to enjoy a little holiday indulgence without sacrificing your health goals:
• Take a healthy dish to the party to ensure there’s something healthy that you can indulge in. Take a platter of healthy protein snacks to nibble on while you wait for main dishes, e.g. low carb crackers and cheese, or biltong. Save big time on carbs by taking low carb options.
• Be a food snob. Don’t waste precious calories on carb- laden foods. Be selective by choosing the foods you love or associate with the season.
• Step away from the munchies, like a bowl of chips or sweets. If they are at arms-length, you are more likely to nibble mindlessly.
• Eat the best-for-you offerings first. Fill up on the healthy options to avoid eating too much of the not-so-healthy.
• Eat before going to a party or having your Christmas meal. Have a healthy snack to curb your appetite.
• Use smaller plates. This is a great way to manage portion size. Studies show that whenever we are served larger portions of food, we eat more.
• Make sure that the veggies are within easy reach. (Provided that they’re not swimming in butter and oil!) Any food that is easy accessible, is likely to be eaten more.
• Never go to the mall hungry. This one speaks for itself!
• Sit next to someone who is a slow eater – you are more likely to adapt to their eating speed; eat slower and feel fuller for longer.
• Keep healthy snacks in your handbag. The last minute looking for something healthy once your sugar is already dipping makes it highly unlikely that you will snack on something healthy.
• Drink responsibly. Studies have shown that 20% of your daily calories are your liquid intake. Also, keep it on the rocks. To avoid a quick buzz, keep adding ice to your drinks. Don’t be ashamed to add ice cubes to your bubbly. In France it’s called “piscine”. Tres chic!
• H2O, H2O, H2O. This might have you using the ladies room more often, but you will also be dispensing calories.
• Exercise. Activity compensates for extra calories. If you have trouble sticking to your usual routine, come up with a new one. Take a walk around the neighbourhood to look at the Christmas decorations.
• Keep the healthy mind-set. You want to get to the point where you miss it if you haven’t eaten your snack, where you look for water when you’re thirsty, where you miss exercise if you skipped two or more sessions.
Beat the bulge this season by doing everything that you can to stay active and healthy without depriving yourself of the fun. Remember it’s all about moderation. Happy holidays!
Source: www.mybwmc.org, www.besthealthmag.ca, www.realsimple.com, www.woman24.com, www.moneymakergroup.com, dietitianwithoutborders.com, www.theguardian.com
