The holiday season is upon us with calorie-laden goodies lurking around every corner. Between the beautiful lights, the crisp snow, gift shopping, and all the fun gatherings we get wrapped up in the whirlwind of the year-end festivities. Suddenly, managing our weight and maintaining our exercise routines slip further and further down our priority list. Before we know it, the scale is slowly (or not so slowly) tipping upward. As January rolls in, so does the time for damage control. However, according to Forbes and many medical studies, most people who gain weight during the holiday season fail to lose it later.
The good news is there are ways to avoid those notorious holiday pounds.
1. Never Arrive Hungry to a Party
A common mistake people make is skipping meals, thinking that will help them lose weight. Not only does our metabolism slow down, making us store body fat, we are also more likely to binge later. Instead, eat a small, healthy meal before the party so you aren’t starving when you arrive.
2. Eat Slowly
It takes 20 minutes for our stomach to register that it’s full, and then communicate it to our brain. By eating slow, you give your body time to respond, and avoid cramming in more food than necessary.
3. Take the Small Plate
Use the smallest plate available and don’t stack your food. This limits the helpings you can take. Also go for simple, healthy choices such as fruits and veggies, which leads us to number four.
4. Watch Out for those Dips and Sauces
They can be treacherous when it comes to calories. Take them in moderation and whenever possible, forego altogether. Instead, use oil and vinegar, or a vinaigrette on your salad.
5. Limit the Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages contain “empty calories,” providing no nutritional value while contributing to excess weight gain. Restrict yourself to one or two servings of alcohol and then stick to water, unsweetened ice tea, coffee, and other calorie-free drinks.
6. Avoid Temptation
While it’s impossible to control all situations, there are ways to make it easier on yourself. For example, don’t leave treats sitting around your kitchen counter or coffee table. You can also avoid walking through the breakroom at work a dozen times a day when you know there are goodies galore in there.
7. Socialize, Don’t Linger
Rather than stand by the food table when you’re at a party, go mingle. Not only is talking carb-free, it will keep your mind and focus off the food and on the conversation.
8. Exercise
It’s very important to maintain your exercise routine. Instead of letting it slip like many, up your activity during the holiday season. If you usually work out 30 minutes a day, go for 45, or if you exercise three times a week, increase it to five.
Start implementing these tips now and come December 31, as you sit down to watch the ball drop and welcome the new year, you can feel good about yourself, knowing that losing those holiday pounds won’t be one of your New Year resolutions.
About Caroline Marache
Caroline Marache is the owner of Hypoxi Studio in Houston, TX. The science behind HYPOXI is that fat burns more easily in areas of high blood supply. They were developed by a team of scientists who recognized that if you can increase blood supply to a specific area of your body, your body’s ability to burn fat in that area will increased.
HYPOXI is a risk free, holistic and natural alternative to liposuction and lipolaser. Learn more at http://www.hypoxihouston.com.
