Staying Trim This Christmas
Christmas… New Year… it can be hard to stay in shape and lose weight over the holiday season when supermarkets are ram packed with naughty puddings and mountains of chocolate.
On average I must put on at least 1-2 pounds during Christmas, which I know doesn’t sound a lot, but can be a real pain to lose in the New Year.
The main problem is temptation…
With all your friends and family eating your favourite foods right in front of you, it is easy to break your dieting habits and follow suit.
God knows how many times I have broken my diet simply so I could enjoy an extra slice of cheesecake. But the thing is, as soon as I broke my diet, it was even harder to return to it, especially as I had gone back a step in my weight loss
If you have ever been in this situation then you’ll know how frustrating it can be. Not only does it feel as though you are starting from scratch, but the motivation is all gone.
That is why in this blog I thought I would offer out some advice on how to beat this weight gain and still have a great Christmas. Let me know what you think:
- Don’t try to lose weight – instead simply try to maintain your existing weight loss by monitoring your weight at least once a week on the scales.
- Monitor what you eat – the key to lasting weight loss is to burn more calories than you consume, and this is still possible during the holiday season. The trick is to monitor the foods you eat and remain aware of how they are cooked.
A single meal of: 4 ounces of turkey, half a cup of stuffing, green beans, sweet potatoes, bread, a glass of wine and a slice of cake can all amount to over 1,000 calories – almost half your daily calorie intake! Add in 2 more meals and you’ll easily surpass your daily amount.
To help remain in control of your diet make sure that you cook all your meals from scratch; invest in low fat alternative ingredients and half your meal portions.
For example, instead of filling your plate to the brim, half the amount you eat or eat from a smaller plate. This will allow you to enjoy your favourite dishes without risking overeating or weight gain. - Balance your calories – more than likely you are going to eat more than you usually do during the holiday season.
For this reason try to lower your calorie intake in the run up to the holidays and exercise more regularly. This will help alleviate the guilt of indulging in a few naughty extras and will balance the extra calories consumed. - Don’t give up exercise – Christmas can be busy with visiting friends and family, so going to the gym or to an aerobics class can be harder. Yet you don’t have to sacrifice your exercise levels over the holiday. Simply going for a walk or a bike ride with your family for 30-45 minutes every day can help you to stay trim and burn those excess calories.
Housework too is a great way to stay in shape. Hovering your home for example can help you to burn at least 200 calories over an hour. - Get plenty of sleep - it is a proven fact that sleep deprivation can affect your appetite levels triggering increased hunger. For this reason make sure you get plenty of sleep over the holidays.
This will help to ease the strain of organising work, your family and Christmas meals and will ensure that your appetite remains modest.
Christmas can be hard for everyone, especially when it comes to weight loss. Yet you don’t have to give up your weight loss aspirations or your dietary choices until after the New Year.
Instead simply aim to stay at your current weight and once the holidays are over, continue losing weight.
Give it a try
Rowena xx
