Holidays are all jolly and glorious, but then there are things that can put a frown on your face. For instance it can be scary to imagine how all the hogging and partying has left you with a big belly that you wonder if Santa loaned his tummy!
Be it Thanksgiving or Christmas, it’s normal to feast on food and laze around with friends and family. This can lead to weight gain and so one must be cautious on ways to avoid this trap during holidays.
It is often after the holidays you tend to get on the scale and you see the numbers rising high. Worst case, your jeans don’t even fit! But the fact is if you were to follow simple and healthy practices during holidays you can maintain your weight and still celebrate abundantly. Here in this article, I will discuss with you easy tips that are effective to avoid weight gain during holidays. For more information about this you can check on consumerhealthdigest.com.
Tips to avoid weight gain during holidays
Equalizing the calories you eat with the calories you burn is the main trick to avoiding holiday weight gain. So here we’ve listed some tips that can give you a great start on keeping fit and healthy during the holidays.
1. Drink more water
This may sound trivial, but drinking water consistently and continuously can help you maintain your weight. Water is a holistic supplement. It is great for your skin, hair as well as overall health. Drinking water prior to a meal helps you to cut down on your calories. It is important you drink at least 7-8 glasses of water everyday. Amidst various feasts during the holidays make it a point to start with a good amount of water.
2. Take a walk and enjoy the scenery
Walking is part of a healthy lifestyle. A 20 minute brisk walk or a one hour slow walk can help you burn your calories easily. It is normal for us to feel the need to laze around during holidays, especially in the winters. A study conducted by Duke University shows that a person who walked for more than half an hour showed more chances to prevent weight gain.
3. Add In A Healthy Supplement
For someone following diets and already has a workout regime adding a supplement can help maintain their weight. Holidays means there is a higher chance to consume more calories and your usual weight loss routine might need an extra push. So for someone who might be following the keto diet, adding a supplement like One shot Keto can help them effectively keep up their healthy and balanced weight. Click here to know more about this keto supplement.
4. Practice Healthy Sleeping
Insufficient sleep is common during holidays and that may cause weight gain. This is because those who do not sleep enough may tend to be hungrier and this increases the hunger hormones and spike up your cravings. eventually you end up consuming more calories.
5. Make Memories Moving Around
You can choose to be a couch potato and end up a size or two bigger, or you can find activities that require you to move your body as well as enjoy some memorable time with your family and friends. Rather than watching a movie with your friends or family get out and meet them at the ice skating rink or a bowling alley. This way your body is moving and active as well as you get to have fun with your folks.
6. Limit your taste-testing and cooking
During the holiday season, many people spend time cooking and tasting. It’s easy to taste-test your dishes but this can lead to weight gain because even small bites of holiday dishes can add up in calories. It is best to not turn holidays into a cooking competition. Stick to a recipe that you know and make meals that are sufficient. Don’t go over the board everyday trying something new.
7. Choose Smart Snacking
Holidays automatically tune your cravings and hence the urge to snack is high. This means you have to be wise while picking your snack option. go for snacks that have less added flavors and sugars. substitute them with healthy nuts, dark chocolates, sugar free goodies. You can also grab an apple or grapes as they are healthier and can make you feel full easily.
8. Abstain Empty Calories
Holidays means easy access to alcohol and other beverages. These include high amounts of sugar as well as other flavors and preservatives. Sugar is a leading cause for weight gain. It is best to limit the consumption so as to stop your intake of empty calories and sugar. Substitute these drinks with healthier choices like a good smoothie or a sugar free beverage.
De-stress your Holidays
Holidays for some means added stress. According to The Wookly, Stress is one of the reasons for binge eating. Hence it is important that one learns to reduce their stress. common methods of reducing stress includes breathing exercise, meditation, yoga, journaling. your body produces a good amount of cortisol when you are stressed. This often leads to cravings and binge eating. The excess of unhealthy eating is high during holidays because of this and so you gain weight. Hence it is important you are mentally healthy to keep your weight in check.
9. Make a Diet and Workout Chart
If you find it hard to stick to a diet or workout routine with the holiday hussle, plan out a chart beforehand. Make it fun and desirable by adding in all things you like. Workouts do not necessarily have to be a boring gym routine. Join a Zumba team or practice yoga. Or if you are really looking into a strategic workout routine, totalshape.com is where you can find fitness guides and reviews to achieve your fitness goals
10. Create Healthy Traditions
Holidays are known for traditions and so why not create one for your family. Make up a tradition that helps you and your family not gain weight. This could be a group yoga session, or a family walk in the park every day. There are several healthy and productive choices that can make your holidays even more interesting.
Holidays are times when you wish to be happy and content. a healthy lifestyle will always have you content on a long term. Hence the list above would be a good start to keep you highly happy while maintaining your weight. You don’t have to limit any entertainment, rather just incorporate some of the healthy habits so that you can cut down the excess weight. At the end who wouldn’t want to enjoy a guilt-free holiday?