With the holidays around the corner, there is a certain fear that comes with it – putting on weight. Let’s be honest, it’s hard to resist holiday food as you only get to eat it once a year and with family and friends all around, you can’t help yourself but just…have a little more than you should. After all, ’tis the season to be jolly and enjoy the once-a-year delicacies.
However, suddenly putting on weight over the holidays may not be helpful in battling the bulge and staying with your health goals. Don’t worry as we have 5 easy to follow tips that will let you enjoy the parties without stressing over calories or scales and keep your life in balance.
Make Sure to Work Out Even a Little Bit
Keep to your work out regime, if you have one. It’s very easy to simply put it off as the holidays approach, deciding that, since you’re going be busy with festivities or that you want to enjoy the holidays, you might as well take a break from working out and you can just start back in January.
Don’t do that because most people’s New Year Resolution is to lose weight but if you don’t stick to your regime, you’re going to end up just like the 90% who do not fulfil their resolution. If you don’t have much time, it doesn’t mean that you can’t get a quick work out in either. You can go for a light jog or a walk early in the morning before you start your day. 15 minutes is short but good enough to ensure that you burn off what you gain from all the feasting and it helps you feel better about yourself and prepares your body for the day.
Make Up for What You Eat
If you had a big dinner the previous day, then make up for it by eating healthy the next day. This way, you’ll at least be able to stop yourself from gaining more than you normally would, plus you don’t completely fall out of habit. If you know that you’re going to have a lot of meat for a Christmas party, then make it up by eating a lot of vegetables the meal before.
You Always Have a Choice
But remember one thing, if you don’t want to you don’t have to eat a big dinner or eat something that you think will ruin your routine. If you have to go to a party or a reunion where you think there’ll be a lot of unhealthy food, you can choose to be the one person that brings something healthier, I’m sure that a lot of people will share your sentiment and like that as long as it’s something that’s also really tasty.
You can also choose not to eat everything at the dinner. It’s your own body and health so no one can blame you for what you choose to eat or not eat.
You are also the one who chooses how much to eat. Again, eat enough and just curb the temptation to have seconds or stuff yourself until you need to release that button on your trousers. Usual portioning still counts.
Get Some Support
Of course, keeping up with your routine all alone can be the toughest part of everything. It can be hard to keep away from anything that could break your resolve, so it’s advised that you have someone you can rely on.
It can be just one person or a whole group of people, but the point is that they all share your views and are dedicated to helping you keep your resolve and that you also help them with theirs. This way you can all support each other and make sure not to break the habit and survive the holidays.
Don’t Judge Yourself Too Much
Don’t be afraid to take a day off. Right now you’re probably thinking, “Why is this article, which is about how to not gain so much weight, telling me to not be afraid to eat?” and the answer is simple. What you do is up to you and you should only do it as long as you want to, not because you feel you have to or because you are forced to.
If you want to eat to your heart’s content, drink and have fun, then you have every right to do so, as long as you follow the other steps you should allow yourself the chance to have fun. After all, the holidays are only around once a year so why not enjoy them? Also, don’t refer to it as a “Cheat Day”, calling it that makes it seem like something bad and is it really bad if it’s delicious food?
At the end of the day what matters is just that, that you do what you feel is better for you. The holidays are about having fun after all and if you spend all that time stressing out about what you could’ve done or what you’re not doing, well, you’re not going to have much fun are you?
Photo Credits: Corpul Uman, Lean It Up, Natural Society, Life’d, Eczema Outreach Scotland, Holiday and Observances
