Summer has arrived with its holiday season. However, before you even get to relish the initial excitement or indulge yourselves with the delicacies of the festive season, the daunting feeling of gaining holiday weight eats at you. You stay up late worrying about it.
If you are in this situation, don't worry. We've got you covered with the best strategies to avoid weight gain. Using them, you can enjoy your holiday and silence those fearful thoughts of weight gain.
Effective ways to avoid Holiday weight gain
Here's a fact to put your mind at ease: gaining a little holiday weight is completely normal! According to a 2017 report, people may gain around 0.4 kg to 0.9 kg during the holidays, which is not much.
But if you are watching your weight and want to stick to your weight goals, you can always choose to rein it in with these six tips.
- Don't Give Up on Your Routine
We are only humans. During holidays, we may feel like deferring from our usual schedule and diet plans and give in to temptation. We tend to get too busy traveling or shopping that we skip our meals. And later, we overeat to make up for it.
This causes havoc to our diet and thus disrupts body weight. So, you must stick to your routine and have regular small meals even during the holidays. And remember: Never go out on an empty stomach!
- Balance out the Calories with Physical Activity
Thanks to the Pandemic, the benefits of exercise and physical activity have been re-emphasized, motivating us to stay active. So, make sure you don't get side-tracked from your fitness regime during the holiday season. Doing so will undo all your progress and bring you back to square one.
Whether it's your morning Yoga or a quick run, exercise regularly and burn excess calories to stay fit emotionally as well as physically. Even short stretches and active movement makes a difference.
- Stay Hydrated
Not taking sufficient liquids will leave you dehydrated. Water helps regulate your cravings as well, so drink plenty of water to avoid weight gain. Also, limit your cocktails to two (if you must). And stay clear of sugary beverages as tempting as they might be. Otherwise, you risk adding more calories through these drinks.
Instead, you can treat yourself to an appetizing and delightful fruit salad or a smoothie.
- Pay Attention to What You Eat
Yes, you can't help but go for extravagant food choices during the festive season, but you can still have control over how you consume them. Try and include as many greens as you can in your meals. Eating fiber-rich foods will make you feel more satisfied and fuller for longer, eventually restraining you from overeating non-nutritious food.
Keep your hand off the cookie jar and treat yourself to only a small portion of processed and sugary foods per day. Also, resort to healthy snacking by stocking up on low-calorie food choices such as nuts and fruits. If this seems too boring for your holiday palette, look up ways to spice them up with healthy recipes on the internet.
Also, make it a habit to focus on your food while you eat, chew properly and savor it.
- Don't Be Hard on Yourself
A healthy lifestyle is not only about restrictions and sacrifices. You do deserve to loosen up from time to time. So don't be guilty of choosing to indulge in a little extra as part of your holiday.
Give yourself the power to make decisions based on your food preferences and the cues your body gives you.
- Make Sure You're Well-rested
Bodyweight is greatly affected by the quality of sleep and sleep cycles. Moreover, sleep deprivation leads to hormonal imbalance, affecting your food cravings the next day. So, if you are keen to avoid weight gain, ensure you get a good night's sleep of at least seven hours.
You can practice mindfulness exercises to keep your hormones in check while also helping you manage your stress and sleep well.
Final WordHolidays alter your lifestyle for a brief period, but they are meant to be celebrated. And food is a big part of any celebration. So, don't deny yourself the freedom to enjoy every aspect of your holiday. Everything done in moderation is always healthy.
Devise your personal strategy using the tips and tricks mentioned above, and your waistline will be under control. Ultimately, making informed choices is the key.
So enjoy the holiday season to the fullest without the fear of losing control and gaining weight. Happy holidays!
