Thanksgiving and Christmas are so close now. It’s the time of year when there is an abundance of food and alcohol, so dieting often goes out of the window. Do you really want to have to deal with it all when it comes to the New Year? With a few tips, you can avoid the weight gain but still enjoy yourself.
Plan Ahead to Limit Your Food Intake
Think about how much you can really eat as a family. Having that big turkey that feeds 10 may sound great but if there are only three of you, it will encourage you to eat more than you need to.
Plan ahead and make sure you have plenty of vegetables to fill up your plate. It doesn’t mean you have to go without but you do need to plan.
Focus on Healthy and Filling Foods
Turkey without the skin, vegetables and potatoes all have one thing in common—they are filling. You can use this to your advantage.
Instead of worrying about your calorie intake from the sweets and drink, focus on getting your nutrients and enjoy the filling options. It doesn’t mean you can’t have the sweet treats; just have them in moderation.
Have Healthy Snacks Around
Between meals and while you’re waiting for that turkey to cook, you want to snack. If you have crisps and chocolate around, you will snack on those, so focus on having healthy options.
Chop up some raw vegetables and make your own salsa to snack on while you wait. You will soon find that losing weight—or just simply avoiding a weight gain—really is possible.
Have Water Before and During Your Meal
You don’t have to avoid the alcohol but it is just full of empty calories. Have a glass of water before you start eating and then have one for during your meal. This will fill you up, too, so you don’t eat as much.
During your meal, make sure you take sips of water. It will give your food a chance to settle and you won’t feel the need to eat as much.
Switch Cream for Ice Cream
When you have that Christmas pudding, chocolate fudge cake or any other delicious dessert, you will likely have cream.
However, ice cream is better for you. In fact, if you can, opt for frozen yogurt. These are lower in calories than the double cream and are lighter on your stomach after such a big meal.
Go for an Afternoon Walk
After lunch, you will start to feel sleepy. This is a great time to get out of the house and go for a walk. Not only will it wake you up but you will also burn a few of those extra calories that you ate.
It can be fun to go for a walk while the air is crisp and fresh. You could even have fun in the snow if the weather has closed in.