How To Avoid Gaining Weight During the Holidays

To keep your weight stable during the Holidays, you need to burn an equal amount of calories as you eat throughout the entire season! 

The end.

Ok, Not so simple. Nobody wants to weigh and measure their food or count calories every day. The best principle we can follow to control calories without counting them is focusing on foods with higher intensity and lower calories.

In other words, your friends are fruits, vegetables, and lean, high-quality proteins.

Example: A Big Mac contains 550 calories and weighs under half a pound. A large apple weighs about the same but only contains 150 calories.

Here’s another way to look at it: What’s going to help you feel full, 1 cup of grapes or 4 Ritz crackers? Both contain about 70 calories, but the grapes weigh 150 grams, while the crackers only weigh 13 grams. Can you understand why is eating an entire sleeve of Ritz crackers so easy? 

The easiest way to make calorie density work in your favor is to consume fruits and vegetables throughout the day simply.

But, of course, each meal should include vegetable, healthy fats and incorporating a high-quality lean protein will keep full longer

This way, you’ll fill up on lower-calorie, nutrient-dense foods, making you feel fuller longer and less hungry between meals.

Sabotage Mind Set

If you believe that you won’t be able to resist all the rich food options or make time for exercise during the holiday season, guess what’s going to happen?

You’re going to indulge in all the rich food options, and your workout clothes aren’t going to get much of a workout.

But we can oversteer in the other direction, too. For example, deciding that you’re going to eat nothing other than salad and grilled chicken while walking 5 miles a day between Thanksgiving and New Year’s is unrealistic.

Be reasonable. Don’t try to be perfect. You can commit to something you’re 80 percent certain you can stick to daily.

It could be:

• 30-minute strength training workout three times a week.
• A frisky walk two times per week
• Taking the stairs instead of the elevator
• Drinking more water

Tips

If you’re going out to dinner, could you research the menu ahead of time and decide on a healthier option with some substitutions (veggies instead of starch)? This way, you will only be tempted by some of the rich, unhealthy options the restaurant is trying to dazzle you with.

If you’re going to a holiday party, use my “pre-eating” strategy. Before heading to the event, have a protein shake, raw veggies, or fruit. The all-you-can-eat buffet and hors d’oeuvres will look less delicious once you’ve taken a bit of the edge off your hunger.

Most importantly, keep it simple. Don’t try to be perfect.

Imperfect action and a realistic plan will work much better.