The holidays often see quite a bounty on many dinner tables that it’s not really surprising to hear people complaining about the number of pounds that have been added to their weight once the holiday season is over. You’re probably already gearing up for the number of invites for parties from family and friends that following a strict diet might be next to impossible. But should it really be that difficult for you to keep an eye on your weight when the holidays are here?
If you are keen on keeping your current weight when the holiday comes, here are a few tips that can help you out.
Begin with the healthy choices. Heading to the healthier options in a dinner party and putting more greens on your plate can reduce your need to get more of the dishes that have been deep fried, or are high in fat content. You’ll be saving yourself some serious calories when you start with the healthier dishes.
Stay focused on your meals. Another trick to keeping your weight down during the holidays is to focus on what you are eating. The more you pay attention to how you chew your food, and savouring each bite will make you more aware on whether your stomach is full or not. If you keep talking or are too distracted, you won’t notice that you are eating more than is necessary.
Move away from the buffet table. When the food is served buffet style, it’s easy to give in to filling up your plate with different food choices. If you are eating near the buffet table a good rule to follow is to move to another room so you won’t be tempted to get more. As much as possible, avoid socializing when you’re a few steps away from the buffet table because you’ll find yourself getting more food on your plate than is necessary.
Pay attention to your drink. Another holiday blunder that many of us make is not really giving our drinks a second thought. If you’ve been downing several glasses of soda or artificial juice, chances are you are putting a lot of calories into your body. Be mindful of what you are drinking because the calories they contain can add up.
Mind your portions. Just because you are in a party, it doesn’t mean that you should give in to indulgence. Practicing portion control is important if you don’t want to see your weight go up in just a few days. Get a small plate for yourself so you won’t pile your plate with plenty of food.
Never skip meals. If you think that skipping meals is a good idea before heading out to a party you’re wrong. The problem with skipping a meal is that you’ll be eating twice the amount in the event and if the food choices are more on the unhealthy side, you can imagine how much workout you’re going to put yourself through just to burn those calories. Have your regular meal prior to heading out so you can keep your food consumption down.
Exercise. Just because it’s the holiday it doesn’t mean that you should forget about your fitness program. You will need to focus on your exercise plan still so that whatever calories you have gained can be burned off easily.
Minimize stress. Most people get stressed when it’s the holiday so the best thing to do is to plan ahead to minimize stress. Think about how you’re going to spend your days so you won’t have to do any last minute planning.
