Many people worry about packing on the pounds from November through January. Want to know how to maintain your waistline with all the holiday parties coming up? Here are a few tips to beat holiday weight gain and start the new year off right!
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Is it normal to gain weight during the holiday season?
Oh, how I miss my twenties and thirties. Those were the days when I could eat Christmas cookies and not put on a single pound. I didn’t have to worry about how to beat holiday weight gain because my metabolism worked off all those extra calories without me lifting a finger to lose weight. Now that I am in my forties, however, gaining weight during the holidays is a real concern.
I am pretty sure I put on weight just SMELLING the dang eggnog and homemade caramel. I will need to work hard this year to avoid those extra pounds around the middle called ‘too much stuffing’ and ‘one more slice of pie’.
Like these tips on how to beat holiday weight gain? Read these weight loss tips, too:
- Weight Loss and Sleep: How To Sleep Your Way To A Skinnier You! Getting quality sleep is an important part of weight loss. Here are a few ways to get a better night’s sleep and kick start your metabolism into healthy weight loss.
- Healthy Weight Loss Tips for Long Term Success If you want to shed a few pounds and actually keep them off forever, here are a few healthy weight loss tips to try.
- 7 Reasons to Start Running to Lose Weight Struggling on your weight loss journey? Maybe you should start running to lose weight!
If you struggle to maintain your weight, especially around the holidays, you are not alone. How much weight does the average person gain at Christmas? You are actually in luck. According to the New York Times, average weight gain during the holidays is only about one pound. Of course, that is AVERAGE. How do you make sure you don’t gain a lot more than that?
How to Beat Holiday Weight Gain:
Holiday weight gain is a common concern for many adults. The combination of overeating, eating the ‘wrong’ foods, and a serious lack of exercise all combine to make you gain weight in the coming months. Here are a few ways to avoid holiday weight gain without giving up all the things you love about the holidays.
Eat before you attend your holiday party:
This may sound counter-intuitive, however, eat a small but healthy meal before you head out to the holiday office party. Sit down to a salad with grilled chicken and you won’t be so tempted by the pizza, casseroles, and other none diet friendly offerings.
Look for high protein, low carb options:
Protein is great for filling you up and empty carbohydrates just end up on your hips. Beans, lean meats, and my homemade hummus recipe are good choices when you are trying to watch your caloric intake. Even just snacking on mixed nuts is a better choice than going for the chips or crackers.
Avoid weight gain by eating more fiber:
Fiber helps fill you up quickly. Head for the raw vegetables, whole grains, and fruit trays before you dip that chip into a creamy cheese dip.
Make your potluck dish diet friendly:
Beat holiday weight gain by feeding yourself at every party! Offer to bring a dish and make it one that is diet friendly. You will have food at every gathering that won’t pack on the pounds. Choose a few of these healthy recipes for potluck parties:
- Oven Roasted Maple Glazed Carrots Recipe with Fresh Thyme Fall is the perfect time for root vegetables flavored with natural sweeteners and this maple glazed carrots recipe is so incredibly simple!
- Healthy Fruit Salad Recipe with Easy Yogurt Glaze A big bowl of fruit salad makes a healthy snack and is a great addition to just about any get together that involves food.
- This Chocolate Dipped Apricots Recipe is a Deliciously Healthy Dessert! This chocolate dipped apricots recipe is the perfect balance between deliciously sweet and slightly healthy.
Skip the holiday cocktails:
One of the best ways to beat holiday weight gain is to keep the ‘holiday cheer’ down to a minimum. Try to avoid drinking too many cocktails during the holiday if possible. If you are making them at home, dilute your favorite cocktail with sparkling water to cut calories and add a bit of ‘sparkle’ to your beverage.
Learn to say ‘No, thank you’:
Do you have an aunt who just thinks you need to have seconds at every meal? Or a mom who keep shoving ‘just one more cookie’ at you? Just learn to say NO to beat holiday weight gain due to peer pressure.
Avoid the white stuff:
Empty calories come from things like bread, potatoes, whipped cream, pasta, and mayonnaise. If the food you are reaching for is WHITE, think again.
Drink lots of water:
Not only is it good to stay hydrated but holding a water glass gives your hands something to do besides shovel food into your mouth!
Stop nibbling while you cook:
Yes, those little cookie dough balls and bits of candy cane really do have calories. So, stop putting them in your mouth when you think no one is looking!
Count Your Canapes:
You know those delicious little treats that come on toothpicks? It’s easy to eat a ton without realizing it. When there are canapes, keep track of how many you eat by stashing a toothpick in your pocket for each one. Set a limit and stick to it.
Make time for exercise:
It’s hard enough to find time to exercise during the week but add in holiday chaos and some days it is nearly impossible. You are going to HAVE to schedule exercise into your day to beat holiday weight gain. Added pounds are merely more calories IN than are going OUT. Put it on your to-do list and get up early for a trip to the gym.
Treat yourself occasionally:
Saying no to every holiday treat is depressing and more often than not results in things like eating an entire pie in one sitting. Let yourself have a cookie occasionally. Just don’t eat the whole tray!
You CAN beat holiday weight gain this year if you pay attention to what actually goes in your mouth and plan ahead a little bit! Do you have any other tips to beat holiday weight gain?
Diane is a professional blogger and nationally certified pharmacy technician at Good Pill Pharmacy. She earned her BS in Microbiology at the University of New Hampshire and has worked in cancer research, academics, and biotechnology. Concern over the growing incidence of human disease and the birth of her children led her to begin living a more natural life. She quickly realized that the information she was learning along the way could be beneficial to many others and started blogging and freelance writing to share this knowledge with others. Learn more about her HERE.
Great ideas. it really can be tough to keep the weight off during the holdiays.
I definitely overindulged during the holiday season but also feel that is part of the fun. That being said, it did feel good to get back into the gym today!