I’ll just say it up front: Don’t diet during the holidays! If you eat and drink more during the holidays, will you gain weight? Yes! But did you have fun and were able to spend valuable time with all of the people that you love? Then that is way more important.
Don’t freak out if you gain some weight – you can always lose it afterwards! You can also limit the “damage” and minimize weight gain which will be easier and faster to lose after the holidays. Here are some tips that will help:
- Focus on the important stuff: visiting with family and friends, partaking in holiday traditions, shopping and giving presents, etc. Yes food is vital to our survival – but don’t stress about what you’re eating.
- Limit snacking: Several snacks throughout the day can add significantly to your total calorie count. Try to focus on eating 3-5 well balanced meals every 3-4 hours.
- Keep moving: Staying active has so many positive effects, such as increasing the number of calories that you burn, reducing your appetite, and boosting your insulin sensitivity. Keep up with your active routine and then when January comes, it will be easier to maintain that habit!
- Focus on protein before evening dinners: If you know that you are going to feast later on in the day, leave room to do so. For breakfast and lunch, focus on eating protein to stay full, which will help with overeating later on. Feel free to add some fruits and veggies if protein isn’t enough to keep you full until dinnertime.
- Limit alcohol consumption: I know that cup of eggnog is calling your name, but drinking alcohol especially in excessive amounts is a guaranteed way to accelerate fat storage. Alcohol is also considered to have “empty calories” meaning they provide no nutritional value. However, you can avoid this negative side effect if you limit yourself to a few drinks per day.
And there you have it! Try to incorporate one or all of these things into your lifestyle over the holidays and it will make a HUGE difference.
When January comes around, the best thing you can do is follow a meal plan and get back into a fitness routine to expedite any weight gain over the holiday season. Not sure where to start with either or both of those? A personal trainer is a great option to consider, where they can be your own personal fitness and nutrition GPS— they take all the guesswork out of what, how much, and when you should workout and eat AND can help with accountability and motivation.
Hope you have a fantastic holiday season!