It’s that time of the year and the most awaited one: the holidays! And since it’s the holidays, it has become easy to gain weight. We have more time to do the things we like waking up late and eating as much as we want! And it even becomes more difficult to resist feasting when eating also becomes a way of bonding with the family.
Unfortunately, losing weight is not as easy as losing it. It’s that formula: eating more than what we usually eat and not being able to consume all the energy from the foods we ate during the holidays — because we don’t need to work!
Losing weight this holiday season is not as easy as gaining them with the sumptuous meals served on the Christmas table.
Photo Credit: Expatch
Interestingly, experts have come up with ways to lose those holiday pounds we gained the easy way. Here are some tips:
1. Don’t be hard on yourself.
Don’t punish yourself into thinking that you should have given more time to exercise. Being too busy to work out because of the preparation and catching up with friends and family is part of the holiday idea. Admit it and move on.
2. Don’t starve yourself.
Do not skip meals completely after overindulging during the holidays. It will be difficult to stick with a healthy diet because it will make you hungrier. Instead, eat more protein rich food during breakfast to satisfy your hunger the whole day.
3. Start and keep moving!
After the holidays, it is important to start and keep on moving to burn those excess calories. Exercise may also give a positive mindset so that you can make wise food choices.
4. If it’s white, avoid eating it!
If it’s white, it’s probably creamy or sweet, or may have a lot of salt in it, which means it has a lot of calories, or it can make you retain water in your body. Your body retains a lot of water when your body isn’t accustomed to the sugar and extra salt. Once the holidays are over, start avoiding these foods.
5. Write your specific weight goals.
Jot down your goals and make it specific. Doing this makes our goals become authentic and verifiable. Include writing down what to eat and make a commitment to follow it. This will decrease your mindless eating.
6. Eat more vegetables.
Vegetables are suppresses hunger and cravings naturally. In contrast, bread is an appetite stimulant. This is why we are never have the feeling of fullness when we eat bread.
7. Get rid of holiday leftovers.
Keeping holiday leftovers will make you tempted to eat more than you need. You have to get rid of those food if you want to get rid of that excess weight. Replace hearty, calorie meals, desserts and fruitcake with healthier snacks and fruits.
8. Make a plan.
Planning your workouts and meals help you stick to your get-healthy goals. Bring your own healthy food when you are out or running errands. Prepare a small after-dinner snack if you know you get hungry in the late evening. Afterwards, brush your teeth and do not go into the kitchen anymore.
9. Make water your go-to beverage.
Drink a lot of water. Sometimes you may think that you are hungry but actually you are just thirsty. Water not only makes you feel fuller but also helps flush out toxins in your body as you shift back to a healthier lifestyle.
10. Just be patient.
Altering your diet also alters your body’s weight-regulating methods. This will make it more difficult for you to follow your healthy diet, and also make you hungrier. So, just be patient. Your body will get used to your new way of eating.
We hope that these tips will help you lose the weight you’ve gained over the holidays, and remember that our body is the reflection of how we treat it.