6 Tips To Help Avoid Holiday Weight Gain
By JP Thomas
The holidays are a time for fun and family togetherness, but also a time where those sneaky little extra pounds can creep up on you fast. Even if you have an iron will, saying no to all of the sweet treats during the holiday season can be difficult. The funny part about the holidays is that everywhere you look, someone has a sweet treat. The office is full of donuts, cookies, and cakes. The grocery store has all of the dessert items on sale and in the front of the freaking store. And every party or gathering we attend seems to have an extra helping of dessert.
While the decorations go away in January, the excess holiday pounds do not. The holiday season always seems to feel like such a busy time of the year. When we are busy, those trips to the gym can seem to get harder to make. While the trips to the gym become fewer and fewer, those pesky little pounds start to pile on. But, gaining excess weight during the holidays is avoidable if you plan and take the right steps.
1. Avoid Stress Eating
Many people say that they feel extremely stressed during the holiday season. Sometimes the stress is due to holiday travel, having guests in town, or being responsible for throwing a holiday party. If you are someone who has these stresses in your life, you may turn to food to cope with them. Grabbing a donut or bag of chips is one of the quickest ways to make yourself gain excess weight. If you know that things like hosting or having people in town stress you out, try to find healthier ways to help you cope such as meditation and breathing. Also, when you are home, try to keep the unhealthy snacks out of your house. Go for snacks like almonds or a piece of fruit when you feel like you need to snack on something.
2. Start The Day With Exercise
During times when our schedules are packed with activities, we have to make the most out of our days. Going to the gym or doing a home workout at the start of your day is one of the most effective ways to help yourself avoid holiday weight gain. Getting a morning workout does not mean that you should allow yourself to eat everything in sight, but the fact that you are getting moving and burning calories gives you a little bit of wiggle room. Getting up early to workout will free up your time, and give you a chance to hit that holiday party after work, or burn off the excess calories from the night before.
3. Skip The Seconds
Holiday dinners are typically served buffet style, which can be extremely tempting when you are hungry. There are usually several foods to choose from, and when you are hungry, everything looks good. Buffet style meals can lend itself to people serving themselves seconds and sometimes even thirds. The extra servings lead to excess calories and additional weight gain. Instead of finishing a plate and immediately going back in for another serving; try to give yourself time to assess if you are still hungry. If you are, try not to go for another full serving. Serve yourself a smaller portion. If you feel full, move on to other aspects of the party and away from the food. Our bodies need time to register if we are full or not, so instead of immediately grabbing another plate drink a glass of water and wait a few minutes.
4. If You Are Hosting, Serve Meals Restaurant Style
Our eyes tend to be much bigger than our stomachs when we feel hungry. If you are eating your meal in the dining room, try to leave the food in the kitchen. The saying out of sight, out of mind can be true when it comes to food as well. If you have a delicious pie in front of you, you are more likely to grab another piece even if you do not want it. Opt for a smaller plate and try not to fill it with tons of food. When we have a table filled with food in front of us, it makes us more likely to consume more than we ordinarily would. Try to keep the food away from your eating area to help cut back on consumption.
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5. Do Not Arrive Hungry
Have you ever gone to the grocery store for a couple of items on an empty stomach? If you have, you can probably attest to spending way more than you intended to on foods you did not plan to buy. When hunger is top of mind, we go for whatever is in sight to help us satisfy that feeling. Chips, check, cookies, check. To avoid holiday weight gain, try not to arrive to the party hungry. This may sound like counterproductive advice because it is a party, but if you eat a small healthy meal before arriving, you will be inclined to eat less. If you arrive not feeling famished, you will be inclined to make better food choices, which will help you avoid holiday weight gain.
6. Get Social
One of my favorite aspects of the holidays is spending time with people that I do not get to see often. Try to keep a distance between you and the food, and spend more time socializing with friends and family. It will feel much better to hang with family and friends than it will to hover over the food and dessert table. Plus laughing is a great way to burn a few excess calories.
JP is a healthcare professional and NASM CPT that uses her platforms to provide practical and accessible workouts for the everyday woman. She has a passion for equal access to health for all and a passion for fashion. This passion inspired her to start her blog which focuses on health/fitness and affordable fashion. She believes that when we look good we feel good inside out. You can visit her website at jzpthomas.com or follow her on instagram @jzpthomas
