Christmas weight gain is a unique occurrence in the year. Even if you’ve been successful from January through October, the situation changes during the last two months. After all, this time of the year doesn’t just involve December 25th. There is an entire holiday season to take into account. While many of us look back as far as Thanksgiving, it typically starts a few weeks earlier than that, giving us a full two months of overindulging.
Taking a Closer Look at Christmas Weight Gain
First, there’s Halloween. Its leftover candy leaves us open to eating massive amounts of sugar and calories all at once. After that, there’s Thanksgiving’s feast, followed by holiday parties – in both our home and work lives – free treats at the stores where we shop, cookie swaps, and more. Before we know it, Christmas weight gain has crept up again for another year.
This year, dietitians agree with the following methods to keep Christmas weight gain away. Of course, everyone has different nutritional needs, so before making any substantial changes to the way you eat, it’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor about your plans. This is smart not only to keep yourself safe and healthy, but also because your doctor is a medical professional and likely has a few additional tips to share with you as well!
Dietitian-Approved Tips to Stop Christmas Weight Gain
When avoiding Christmas weight gain is your goal, there are many simple, healthy, but often counter-intuitive techniques you can add to your daily habits. You may be surprised at how straightforward they are. In fact, some of them might be easier than alternative strategies you’d been considering.
Eat Breakfast
Start your day with a nutritious breakfast. This is a great way to prevent overindulgence later on. Several studies have indicated that this technique encourages the consumption of fewer calories throughout the day. Just make sure it is nutritious, containing protein and ample fiber to fill you up and give you ongoing energy.
Create Fitness Time
This is certainly a busy time of year but skipping your workout will only lead to Christmas weight gain. Don’t try to find the time to do your exercises, make the time. This means that you might need to get up just a bit earlier so you can do a fifteen minute session first thing in the morning. It may mean that you’ll need to have your dinner fifteen minutes later because you’ll use that time as soon as you get home from work. You might skip your normal gab session at lunchtime in favor of a chat with a co-worker as you take a brisk walk together.
Eat Before Parties and Gatherings
Whether you’re headed for a lunch, dinner, cocktails or any other gathering, eat first. This may mean that you’ll have a large salad or an entire meal before you head out, depending on the event you’ll be attending. The key is not to show up hungry. That way, you won’t fill up on all the rich foods served as appetizers, hors d’oeuvres or the meal itself. You’ll still be able to have a taste of anything you want, but you’ll be far less likely to overindulge if your hunger isn’t guiding your choices. This can be one of the most powerful steps you can take to avoid Christmas weight gain.
Bring Food
Of course, to better control what you eat and avoid Christmas weight gain, you can always bring a dish with you to contribute to meals you’re attending. Bring enough for everyone but fill part of your plate with what you know is friendly to your weight management strategy.
