For those who love active, outdoorsy holidays, weight gain might be less of a concern compared to others, but it’s still something to watch out for.
Although an active lifestyle helps you burn more calories, the festive season’s abundance of indulgent food and drink can still cause you to pack on the pounds.
The key is to balance enjoyment with some simple practices to avoid holiday weight gain. Most importantly, keep in mind that women who make diet and lifestyle changes to shed weight often experience nutritional deficiencies.
These gaps can be filled with dietitian-recommended weight loss supplements, which will ensure you stay healthy without missing essential nutrients while still working toward your weight goals.
5 Tips for Weight Management During the Holidays
1. Never Go Hungry
It’s a common scenario: you skip breakfast or lunch, thinking you’ll “save” your calories for that big holiday dinner. But arriving at a meal feeling ravenous is one of the quickest ways to overeat.
Your body is programmed to seek high-energy foods when it’s been deprived, which makes the spread of rich, calorie-dense holiday treats even more tempting.
Instead, try to eat smaller, healthy meals regularly throughout the day, consisting of lean protein, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
This will help keep you satisfied and it will also prevent spikes in blood sugar levels and the associated energy dips, which can trigger food cravings and subsequent overeating.
Consider incorporating high-protein snacks, such as nuts, seeds, and trail mix, to boost your energy during outdoor activities during the holiday season.
This is especially helpful if you tend to feel fatigued after a long day of hiking, cycling, or other outdoor fun, which can then lead to overeating in the evening.
2. Practice Portion Control with Smaller-Sized Plates
Portion control is one of the most effective ways to avoid holiday weight gain, but it’s often easier said than done. During the holidays, large platters of food are typical, and the temptation to load your plate can be strong.
There’s a simple healthy eating hack to overcome this. Research shows that using smaller plates can naturally limit how much food you consume without making you feel deprived.
There are many theories as to why this works, with the most plausible ones suggesting that our brains associate a full plate with a full meal.
Consequently, if you serve yourself a smaller portion on a small plate, you are more likely to enjoy it as a satisfying meal and less likely to go back for seconds.
3. Fill Up on Fiber
Holiday meals tend to be a problem for anyone who is health conscious because they’re high in fats and simple carbs but low in fiber. Such meals won’t keep you satiated for long but will add greatly to your caloric intake without providing much nutrition.
The end result is one that we’re all familiar with. The best way to deal with this is by bulking up your meals with vegetables.
While every meal can and probably should include healthy protein, such as lean meats, fish, eggs, or plant-based proteins like beans and lentils, incorporating a variety of colorful veggies ensures that you’re getting complete balanced nutrition and plenty of fiber.
This combination of protein and fiber works together to promote satiety and keep your energy levels stable throughout the day.
4. Don’t Laze After Meals
With a spread of holiday meals, it can be tempting to indulge until you are almost comatose and just want to curl up and sleep.
Avoid doing this at all costs because lying back after a big meal is only going to impede digestion and increase weight gain.
Physical activity right after a meal not only aids digestion but also burns off some of the calories you’ve just consumed.
This is also supported by research, which shows that brisk walking for at least half an hour immediately after a big meal promotes greater weight loss than walking an hour or so after meals.
While the study involved walking, you can also try other activities such as cycling.
5. Limit or Avoid Alcoholic Drinks
This is perhaps the most effective way to limit unnecessary caloric intake, but it can be rather challenging for some of us. Nevertheless, it’s important to be prudent with your alcohol intake.
Some alcoholic beverages are particularly high in calories, with eggnog or cocktails like Long Island Ice Tea or Pina Coladas containing over 500 calories.
When you do choose to drink, opt for lower-calorie options like a wine spritzer or light beer, and make sure to alternate between alcoholic beverages and water to stay hydrated and pace yourself.
Moderation is key, as alcohol can also lower your inhibitions, making it easier to overeat at holiday gatherings.