You are on the downhill run into Christmas which means that you are being inundated with even more temptations – after all, an invitation to a Christmas party / drinks often involves the potential to consume a lot more calories (both from food and alcohol). It is important for you to maintain your will-power and keep your resistance up. This week, five tips on how to ‘soldier on’ to keep your weight under control over Christmas – after all, we don’t want to let the rumballs win.
1. Be Active With Family and Friends
Sedentary activities, such as sitting on the couch watching Netflix / cricket & playing computer games are common Christmas past-times for many families. Inactivity may contribute to weight gain especially when lounging around is accompanied by eating festive treats. An activity as simple as a daily family walk can keep everyone healthy, as it will get your mind off food and allow you to bond with your loved ones.
Sleep deprivation is quite common during Christmas, especially in the frenzy leading up to the big day. Unfortunately, this can lead to weight gain simply because those who do not sleep enough tend to be hungrier, consume more calories and get less physical activity (due to feeling tired).
Additionally, inadequate sleep has been linked to lower metabolism. So aim to get at least 7 hours a night, every night (8 hours is even better!).
3. Keep Meals Balanced With Protein
Most festive ‘snack’ foods – such as rumballs – are typically rich in carbohydrate but lack protein. However, it’s important to include some protein with every meal, as it promotes fullness and ensures you are having a balanced nutritional intake. So ensure you have protein at every meal during your Christmas break and swap rumballs (and other sweet Christmas treats) for ham off the bone, seafood, boiled eggs or cold turkey slices.
4. Bring a Healthy Dish to Share
Christmas parties can be a common setback in the battle against festive season weight gain as you have no control over the food that’s served. The best thing to do is bring your own healthy dish for yourself and to share with others. This way, you can be sure you’ll have something to eat that won’t interfere with your weight goals.
All of the suggestions above come down to planning ahead if you are watching your weight over the Christmas break. If you have social events on that involve food just take matters into your own hands. Find out what types of foods will be served and if you need to, bring your own dish. Decide what and how much you will eat ahead of time.
PLAN your food and alcohol intake, KEEP up your activities, and make healthy food CHOICES!
…yes you can!