Tips for Healthy Eating During the Holidays
How to Prevent Weight Gain
Because holiday foods are so tempting, many people simply do not try to be careful of weight gain, promising themselves to keep a New Year’s resolution of diet and exercise. However, it really is possible to splurge on holiday foods and still not gain weight. Using these simple tips, the holidays will still be enjoyable, but weight gain will be minimal to none.
Don’t Deny Yourself
It’s hard to believe that denying cravings can actually be hurtful in watching our weight, but it really can. When someone craves something sweet like Aunt Emma’s famous pecan pie, denying that craving can actually make the craving worse. Most of us do not have that kind of willpower, and when we do give in to the cravings, we’ll eat a whole lot more than we should.
Instead of denying ourselves holiday foods, we should focus on portion control. Instead of taking a whole piece of pecan pie, we can cut a fourth of a slice. In doing that, we’ll satisfy our craving, splurge on holiday treats, and not over indulge. The key to maintain weight during the holidays is to eat the foods we love in small portions.
Drink Water
Drinking water has many benefits, but one of the best benefits during the holidays is appetite control. In fact, drinking an 8 oz. glass of water before eating a meal will ensure that we eat a lot less food. Plus, if we drink water during our holiday meals, we won’t be consuming empty calories associated with sodas, sweet teas, and holiday punches.
Munch on Vegetables
There’s usually a raw vegetable plate at nearly every holiday get-together. Raw vegetables like carrots, celery, and broccoli are rich in fiber, and these vegetables are great at making us fill full. If we force ourselves to eat a handful of raw veggies, then our raging appetites will be satiated, ensuring that we consume fewer calories.
Eat Breakfast
Eating breakfast is always important, but during the holidays, this is an essential step in weight control. The purpose for eating breakfast is twofold. First of all, eating breakfast signals the body to begin its day, and thus, our metabolism kick starts. We definitely want our metabolic rate at its highest during the holidays because the body will burn more calories naturally if our metabolism is higher. Secondly, eating breakfast ensures that we aren’t starving before a holiday meal, allowing us to eat less.
Don’t skip Meals
Skipping meals before a holiday feast sounds like a good idea in theory. We may even use the justification that if we don’t eat any calories all day, we can really splurge on a holiday spread. However, this may possibly be the greatest reason we gain weight during the holidays.
When we don’t eat, our bodies naturally assume that food is not available. Due to that assumption, our bodies will slow down our metabolism so stored fat won’t be burned. This is a defense mechanism. In essence, our bodies try to save stored body fat for sustenance in case of starvation. If we eat small meals throughout the day, however, our bodies will assume that food is readily available, and our metabolic rate will increase, burning calories throughout the entire day.
While it may be difficult to lose weight during the holidays, it’s not difficult to maintain weight. These simple tips will ensure that we won’t overeat during the holidays. Portion control really is the key to splurging on holiday foods that we love without gorging ourselves into extra weight gain.
Splurge during the Holidays!
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