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Oh Yes! … ‘tis the season to go ah–eating – hahaha
Seriously though, we can’t explain it – it just happens … even to the fittest of the fittest. Even if it just 1kg – we all come out of the festive seasons bigger. Not to worry though, if you practice these strategies, (like I know you have been with everything I’ve been preaching – *wink*) you’ll be fine.
Ø Drink a large glass of water before any meal
Water is calorie-free and filling – it causes stomach distension which means it stretches your stomach and fools your brain into thinking you are full. Drinking a large glass of water before you sit down to eat will prevent overeating. You’ll still enjoy your meal, but you won’t want to eat as much as normal.
Ø Downsize your plates
Meals at Christmas time are usually bigger than your everyday meal. You’ll definitely have different varieties to choose from – or maybe not choose. That’s why it’s so easy to gain weight!
Make Christmas meals less fattening by having smaller portions.
Don’t put your smaller portions on regular-sized plates, though – you’ll make them look less filling and not so appetizing. Instead, serve your smaller meal on a small-sized plate to make it look bigger than it really is.
This simple trick has been shown to prevent overeating, so use smaller bowls and even smaller glasses too.
Ø Fill up on lots and lots of veggies
Vegetables are staples in our meals especially Christmas meals, but many of us mistakenly go easy on them, so we can have more space for fattening foods. Please Don’t make that mistake! Instead, fill your plate with veggies and only add small amounts of those foods you know to be fattening – anything deep fried, rich, fatty meats, potatoes, rice, pasta, and bread.
Vegetables contain a lot of water and fiber which are filling without being fattening so make them the cornerstone of your meals.
Veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, spinach etc are awesome as they are particularly low in calories. A large portion of this type of vegetables will provide as few as 100 calories. You can steam them, oven-bake them, boil them, or eat them raw – it doesn’t matter. Just fill up on veggies to reduce the amount of food you want to eat.
Ø Go easy on the Alcohol
Let’s face it – Most people tend to drink more over the Christmas period, but alcohol is very energy dense (7 calories per gram) just like fat. I’d say you especially need to avoid sweet cocktails, creamy liqueurs and sugar-laden mixers. Alternate your drink with a glass of water or other calorie-free beverage and, if you must have coctails, stock up on low-calorie tonics and unsweetened fruit juices. Finally, beware of drinks served in large glasses – *BIG GRIN*.
Ø If you slip up, don’t binge
Despite your best intentions, you may slip up, and either eat too much or make unhealthy food choices; you are only human after all! Don’t worry about it – it’s normal. However, don’t make the problem worse by turning an insignificant little slip up into a week-long junk food binge.
Instead, acknowledge your slip up and then make sure your very next meal is healthy and low in calories. Don’t make things worse by continuing to overeat.
Ø Don’t neglect your workouts
We all know that eating healthy and working go hand in hand in achieving a balanced lifestyle. That being said, if you skip your workout and eat more than usual, weight gain is almost inevitable. Just because your gym is closed doesn’t mean you can’t exercise. You’ll just need to be creative. Here are some terrific ways to exercise even if your gym is shut for the holidays.
Go for a brisk walk or jog
Play a team sport
Do a bodyweight workout at home ( Like @TheRubyAguPage on Facebook, follow @IamRubyAgu on Instagram and Subscribe to Ruby Agu Channel on Youtube – More Videos Coming Soon …)
Jump rope
Ride your bike
No matter what workout you usually do, you should have no trouble finding an activity that elevates your heart rate and increases your metabolism for 20-30 minutes per day. Exercise not only burns calories, it makes you think more healthily too, and that may just be enough to strengthen your willpower so that you eat healthily too.
Remember – there’s No Restrictions … Just Moderation.
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