There are a number of diet strategies that you could do to prevent yourself gaining weight this holiday season. What you need to know and understand is that you have to have burn more or take in an equivalent amount if you don't want to gain. I've put together 13 tips below to allow yourself to stay social enjoy foods in moderation and not buy a bigger pants size before the New Year is over:
1.) Include both high intensity workouts both pre- and post-holiday festivities.
Yes I know, you were probably looking for something other than the obvious, but you simply cannot go without strenuous activity. Your body will also be more efficient if you include higher calorie and/or energy dense meals within 30 minutes before and within three hours post high-intensity activity. Ideally, you should workout both before and after a big meal. Why? Because you're looking to burn off all the energy you've consumed, but if you can only do one, once is far better than none. The most important things is that you do it. The best bang for you buck routine is 20 minutes of circuit resistance training/cardio interval training. You can follow your meal with a 20-30 minute brisk walk a as a way to increase your calorie expenditure.
2.) Don't skip meals before the Holiday Fest/Big Meal
Skipping meals to save calories does not give you a free meal to indulge or overeat. In fact, when a person overeats they tend to reach for the foods that are higher in sugar, fat, or possibly both! When you put your body in a fasting state, your body turns to survival as it's mechanism. Food deprivation only puts your body in a famine state. Once the body is in the famine state, your body turns the next meal into a fat storehouse (body begins to use survival energy). The body anticipates not being able to get food (energy) and will try to preserve itself for another long sustained period. You can do both you and your body a favor and that through eating more frequently, every two to four hours. To prevent the stress of weight gain and drop extra pounds you cannot afford to get off track from your normal routine. Skipping meals only leads to a ravenous body and when you're in a ravenous state, you can count on serious fat storage.
3.) Don't overdue it
Just because it's the holidays, it doesn't give you the green light to eat any and everything that's in your path. Instead, you should be eating solely to the point where you're satisfied, not in a full or discomfort stage. It's important to know and understand, lean and fit people do are not custom to binge eating. Pay close attention to your stomach and body during this holiday season. Enjoy foods, but take them in moderation and eat when you're hungry but only to the point where you feel satisfied, not stuffed.
4.) Sneak a High-Fiber, High Protein Meal An Hour Before the big Event/Feast
I'm going to let you in on a little secret that I've used multiple times during the feast. A meal that is high in fiber and protein before a bigger meal helps you to feel more satisfied, thus you're more likely not to overeat. The reason is both fiber and protein are satiating (makes you feel full for longer periods. By sneaking in a high fiber/ high protein meal before the event, you'll consume less calories and more likely to pass on seconds and or thirds. I personally just drink a protein shake with a added fiber and healthy fats (e.g. 2-4 Tbsp. flax meal) and 1 liter of water prior to the meal. This helps me to enjoy the people and visiting with them instead of rushing straight to the kitchen upon arrival. Using this little trick will help you keep the pounds off and feeling like you grew as big as house after the get together.
5.) Choose Vegetables, Fruits & Leans Proteins
Just because it's the holiday meal doesn't mean you can't eat any nutritious food. Make sure you fill up on healthier food choices first and try to eat as much lean meat, fish, and fruits and veggies as possible. Get these foods in first at every holiday event. If you do this, you don't give more room the unhealthy higher calorie foods. When you include veggies fruits and lean proteins first you know your body is filled with good nutrition and you don't have to worry about sickness, weight gain and/or other health concerns.
6.) Drink plenty of Water
If there was is a weight loss drink, water would most certainly is it. You already know your over 60% of your body is comprised by water. Water also helps to slightly increase your metabolism. Water will compete for the empty space in the stomach and will help you to take in smaller portions. For every plate you eat, make sure you have no less than 1-2 glasses of water. If you're the type who likes to get seconds, try adding 1 full liter of water in your belly before your second helping. That second helping may take a lot more work than regularly anticipated.
7.) Following a meal, do not eat again until you are hungry
You were previously told to eat every 2-4 hours, but this must be reiterated. If you have a larger sized meal, do not eat again until you are hungry and/or no longer satisfied/full. If your body is not used to eating big meals, it takes longer to digest the food consumed. What you don't want to do is place more food in a stomach that's already full. Thus, being mindful of what you're stomach is saying to you, get back on your normal eating plan immediately following holiday feast.
8.) Continue with your normal eating at the next meal
The big feast is over, so it's time to get back to your normal eating plan. This is the best time to get back on track with both and exercise and meal plans. It's important to know and remember that your weekly caloric intake is of more importance than your daily caloric intake. For example, let's say your total intake per week is 12,600 calories and you have a pretty good idea you consumed nearly 3,000 at the big meal. You know for the rest of the week you're going to need to take in a little less each day to get your numbers to stay at the 12,600 goal.
9.) Forget the Junk Foods at breakfast and or bedtime
This tip right here goes all the time. If you're looking lose weight and or not gain weight, you should not be eating junk food at breakfast and or when it's to go to bed. Eating highly refined carbohydrates for breakfast forces your blood sugar levels to act up the rest of the day. The end result is more junk food cravings and uncontrollable hunger. Eating these type of foods before bed result in unused energy that is stored as body fat and you may find it hard to sleep with the additional energy and volume in your stomach!
10.) Control Your Portions
This is key to you keeping the pounds off. Yes you can enjoy your meal but you must have portion control. Giving yourself a free day to eat whatever and however at every meal only leads into larger portion sizes and extra calories. Try only eating half of the servings of the foods that you know are unhealthy. Through using this little trick at least you've only consumed half the calories and won't have to pay for as much as if you went all out.
11.) Avoid Empty Calories in the form of Liquid and Alcohol
There are studies that show up to 20-35% of a person's caloric intake come from empty calories (liquid drinks, juices and alcohol). Mistakenly drink a tall glass of juice for breakfast, have a cup of coffee after your meal, make a few trips to the soda machine and the next you know you're well over 1000 calories for the day in just drinks. It all adds up, keep the same patter and in one week, you will gain 2 lbs of body fat from just fluids alone! In terms of calories look to get them through solid foods instead of empty liquid . The foods will fill you up and provide some nutrition whereas liquid calories and alcohol, don't do that. The over-consumption of alcohol leads to prevent the fat burning process from resuming until several days later and can cause unwanted fat gain which can take you further away from your goal
12.) Replace Lower Calorie/Carbohydrate Substitutes Whenever Possible
Replace regular sugar, for the zero calorie alternatives such as splenda or stevia. The taste in these substitutes are similar, but they are without the extra sugar and calories. You may even exchange yeast for protein powder when you bake. The additional protein and reduced carbs are going to help you get slimmer and they still providing some great tasting treats! After all, with weight loss as your goal you should look for the minimal amount of calories that can provide the same great taste that makes the holiday treats enjoyable.
13.) Avoid Eating Meals that are High in Both Fat and Carbohydrates
The worst thing you can do is to eat a meal that is high in both fat and carbohydrates. The high amount of carbohydrates leads to a rapid spike in blood sugar levels and large amounts fat-storing hormone Insulin. The high amount of fat increases the free fatty acids in your bloodstream.. You'd serve your body better to choose one over the other. Most people tend to crave carbs as their free meals. If this you, it is essential to keep a low fat meal. Do you want pasta? Instead of taking the high fattening alfredo sauce, choose marinara sauce get whole grain pasta. Do you want pizza? Try making your own pizza. Use whole grain crust and fat-free cheese. Like mashed potatoes? Make sure you skip the gravy and go light on the butter. These little changes and tweaks will save you hundreds, even thousands of calories, and more importantly will help prevent your holiday feasts from being a fat-storing environment that will set you back from achieving your health, fitness and weight loss goals.
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