28TH NOVEMBER 2022
How To Prevent Christmas Weight Gain
How To Prevent Christmas Weight Gain
The festive season is a time to celebrate with friends, drinks and especially food. With all the delicious food around, it can be easy to overindulge a bit and out on a bit of weight.
Many people experience weight gain over the Christmas period. However, all hope is not lost - it is possible to prevent Christmas weight gain. Below, we’ve listed some of the top tips for you to use to prevent Christmas weight gain while still indulging a little.
Is it normal to put on weight over Christmas?
Most people overindulge during the festive season and put on a little weight, but not more than a pound or two. The issue is that it can take a little longer to lose the extra weight than it did to put it on.
How To Prevent Christmas Weight Gain
You can avoid weight gain over the Christmas period by implementing some simple tactics, such as exercising regularly, controlling your portion sizes, getting enough sleep and more.
Never Skip A Breakfast
They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day for a reason. A healthy breakfast, such as greek yoghurt with fruit or wholegrain toast with poached eggs, will make you feel satiated and keep you going for the day.
Keep Up The Exercise
A sedentary lifestyle is one of the biggest contributors to weight gain. By staying active, you can help burn the extra calories (although you can’t only rely on exercising). So take a quick walk or pop into the gym for a workout.
Get Enough Sleep
Yes, we know those Christmas parties are temping, but prioritising sleep will help keep that waistline in check. This is because the lack of sleep drives up the stress hormone cortisol, which contributes to an increased appetite. Plus, sleep is good for your overall health.
Carry Snacks With You
This might seem counter-intuitive, but we recommend that you carry healthy snacks with you and substitute the unhealthy Christmas treats with them. Foods such as vegetables, nuts, seeds and fruits are real, whole foods that don’t contain extra sugar. Of course, you do need to be careful that you don’t mindfully munch on your snacks too.
Eat Mindfully
When we say eat mindfully, we mean that you should pay attention to the food you’re eating and your body’s responses. Eating food slowly will help your body realise when it’s full, which will mean fewer calories consumed.
Portion Control
Eating mindfully is one thing, but it can be very hard not to eat with your eyes and fill your plate up with delicious Christmas foods. Rather serve a smaller first portion, enjoy it, allow it to digest for a little bit and then see whether you really need to go back for that second serving of roast potatoes or Yorkshire pudding.
Watch The Liquid Calories
Alcoholic beverages are the biggest culprit when it comes to calories. Drinks such as beers, wine and cocktails are high in sugars and calories, which can send you over the edge and contribute to weight gain. Instead, opt for lower-calorie alternatives like whiskey on the rocks or gin and low-calorie tonic.
Preventing Weight Gain At Christmas
Christmas is a time of festivities - it’s also often a time of overindulgence. So while the one or two treats might not make a big difference, continuous eating will contribute to a bit of extra weight around the midrif.
However, there are many simple steps you can take to prevent Christmas weight gain, such as controlling your portion sizes, choosing healthy snacks and exercising regularly.
