Christmas is just around the corner, and as we wind down to the end of the year, end of year parties, drinks and social functions fill our diaries. While this is all great fun, many of us find we’re carrying a few extra kilos as we move into the New Year. The good news is there are a few steps you can take to maintain your weight over the holiday season. Here’s how to avoid Christmas weight gain:
1. Up the exercise
With a busy schedule, it can be easy to put exercise on the back burner over Christmas, but it’s important to make it a priority at this time of the year. If you’re finding it hard to fit in exercise after work, try a quick half hour session before work in the morning. Half an hour isn’t a lot to ask and it can make a difference in keeping fit and healthy over December. As well as scheduled exercise, add extra incidental exercise into your day. Park further away, go for a walk in your lunch break – all these things add up to extra calories burned.
2. Watch the alcohol
A few drinks here and there at various social functions can add up to extra kilograms fairly quickly. Alcohol affects weight gain in a number of ways. Firstly, alcohol is up there in the calorie ranks. Secondly, after a few glasses of bubbles, you’re less likely to say no to high fat snacks that are also being served. Alcohol also increases appetite. Drinks do vary in their calorie content – a typical size glass of wine (large glass) contains 160 calories, whereas a single shot of spirits with soda water contains 70 calories. For more on alcohol, check out this article.
3. Base your meals around vegetables
Not only are vegetables nutrient packed, they’re the ideal base for low calorie meals – great to help compensate for extra calories consumed during Christmas functions. A smoked chicken and mango salad makes a delicious lunch or a vegetable stirfry with beef strips is fresh healthy dinner.
4. Bring a plate
If you’ve been invited to someone’s place, take something healthy with you so you know you’ll have a healthy option when it comes to serving up. A large vegetable salad, a quinoa salad, lean meat kebabs with mushrooms, zucchini and cherry tomatoes are all good options.
By making a conscious decision to be a little more active and careful with food choices, you can make it through the holiday period without any extra weight.
Leave a Reply