During the holiday season, families gather together to celebrate and enjoy delicious food. But no matter how delightful these meals are, we must be mindful of how these foods can impact us in the long run. In fact, our article on holiday weight gain revealed that we can put on up to 500% more weight per holiday week than we do on non-holiday weeks. So if you’re on a diet, you might be worrying about how to avoid gaining weight over the holidays.
In this article, we will share four tips on how you can follow your weight loss plan without missing out on the festivities.
Plan ahead
If you’re going to attend various holiday events, it’s best to take note of these days, so you can manage how much food you’ll be consuming. For example, if you’re attending a Thanksgiving dinner party with friends, you can manage your weight by eating lighter meals earlier in the day to balance the extra calories you may consume at the party. You can also opt to have a satisfying lunch with a light snack if you prefer to eat less at night. By planning ahead of your holiday festivities, you’ll be able to adjust your calorie intake and ensure that you don’t overeat.
Watch your portion size
Another helpful tip at the dinner table is to think of your portion size. Because when the food looks delicious, it can be tempting to heap food on your plate and overeat. One of the best ways to avoid this is to use a smaller plate. This is because using a smaller dish means it’s easy to fill your plate, making you less likely to get more food than necessary. Although studies believe that it may not significantly reduce the amount of food we consume, researchers claim that eating on a smaller plate is still a beneficial weight loss strategy, especially during the holidays.
Perform simple exercises
A weight management strategy that can enable you to regulate your weight this holiday season is exercising regularly. For instance, you can do yoga routines for beginners since it can help you burn calories while allowing you to relieve some of the holiday stress as well. You can also take regular walks in the neighborhood if you’re not into intense exercise. Walking 10,000 steps a day has been found to be very effective against inevitable periods of excess, like holiday feasting activities. This is because the calories you consume won’t get stored as fat, unlike individuals who don’t get any physical activity. So if you regularly walk at least 10,000 steps a day, you don’t have to feel guilty about splurging on food during holiday feasts because you know you can burn them immediately.
Get adequate sleep
The amount of sleep you get can also affect how your body burns calories. In a study on sleep deprivation and weight loss, researchers explained that people who are often sleep-deprived tend to gain more weight due to increased caloric intake. Moreover, individuals who spend only 5.5 hours sleeping in bed lose less fat than those who get at least 8.5 hours of sleep daily. So although sleep deprivation is common during the holidays, ensure that you still get enough sleep to help you manage your weight.
Just because you’re on a diet doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the food served by your family and friends this holiday season. As long as you’re mindful of how much you eat, you don’t have to worry too much about your weight.