Around this time of year I think many of us would like to know how not to gain weight over Christmas. I’m trying not to stress too much about my diet until the new year as I want to enjoy all the Christmas treats. What I am doing in December is trying to be more consistent in my water intake and making sure I walk 7000+ steps a day. To try and create a couple of good habits to take into January.
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What I don’t want to happen is to end up spending January losing the weight I’ve put on over Christmas. And it has happened in the past. I can quite easily put on 4 or 5lbs by overindulging in all the Christmas nibbles. I have found that the years I’ve managed not to put on too much extra have been the years I’ve been more active throughout December.
If you make a little extra effort you can enjoy the festivities without having to pay for it come January so here are some ideas I’m going to keep in mind over the next few weeks. My 15 top tips for how to not gain weight over Christmas.
15 Ways to Prevent Weight Gain Over Christmas
1 – Have a healthy breakfast. Porridge, wholegrain toast or yogurt with fruit and nuts or seeds. I find this quite easy as I don’t often want to pig out first thing. If I fancy a bigger breakfast I will have it later as a brunch and skip lunch.
2 – Keep moving. Go out for walks as often as possible, dance at parties, put in some extra effort doing the housework.
3 – Get plenty of sleep. Lack of sleep can make you feel hungrier, consume more calories and feel less like being active.
4 – Eat slowly. Be mindful of how you are eating and appreciate the food and you may find you need to eat less.
5 – Cut down on snacks. Don’t snack or if you are peckish have something healthy like nuts, dates or fruit.
6 – Watch your drinks. Choose gin or vodka with a slimline mixer and have a glass of water between each drink. Drinking alcohol can also make you choose unhealthy food options.
7 – Eat before you go out. An empty stomach can cause you to make bad choices at the buffet or might lead you to pick up an unplanned takeaway on the way home.
8 – Fill one small plate at the buffet. Don’t stand by the buffet picking at the food all evening. Use a smaller plate and fill it with your favourite foods and healthier options.
9 – Eat your favourite treats. Make sure you enjoy the foods you look forward to at Christmas. Try not to waste calories on the foods that don’t excite you so much.
10 – Say no if you are full. Don’t keep on eating until you are uncomfortable and are no longer appreciating the food.
11 – Fill up on lean turkey and vegetables. Put a larger portion of healthy food on your plate and you won’t miss those extra potatoes.
12 – Buy active gifts for the children. Buy a new bike, skates or a skateboard and then get outside during the day for some active family time. Much more fun than slumping in front of the TV picking at mince pies and chocolate.
13 – Don’t stockpile food. The shops are only shut for a couple of days. so there is no need to fill the fridge with piles of food you then feel obliged to eat.
14 – Freeze leftovers. Don’t eat it just to avoid wastage. Pack it away and freeze it to avoid temptation.
15 – Don’t let Christmas last too long. Two or three days won’t do too much damage but a whole month of over-indulgence will.
I feel a bit more confident now, that I can enjoy Christmas without my waistband getting tighter and tighter as the month goes on. One good thing I find after all the rich food is that I’m usually desperate for lighter eating in January. One of my favourite things to do, late December, is get my cookbooks out and plan a healthy new year regime that I can’t wait to start.
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