How to Avoid Gaining Weight During the Holidays.

The Holidays are great. There’s food, friends, family, and more food. It may come as no surprise that for many this festive feasting is usually followed by fasting and fitness, but is there a way to enjoy the festivities without partaking in the twelve pounds of Christmas? The short answer: Yes. It may sound like a Christmas miracle, but below is a list of five ways to avoid putting on the pounds during the holidays.

5 simple tips to not gain weight during the holidays.

1. Pre-game the feast.

Now before you go breaking out the J?germeister, I should explain that “pre-gaming” in this sense actually refers to the food.?Research?shows that having a protein rich snack 20-30 minutes before sitting down for dinner can increase feelings of fullness, and help prevent over-eating.

2.?Use smaller plates.

We often serve ourselves more when we have bigger plates. In fact, a?2016 research review?concluded that when plate size doubled, people served themselves 41% more food which led to greater overall consumption.

3.?Keep the food on the counter, not the table.

Overeating is often a result of convenience, if the food is there, we’re going to eat it. That’s why keeping dishes on the counter and serving ourselves before sitting down to eat is a great way to decrease calorie consumption, because it means we have to get up to get a second helping. This mild inconvenience can diminish the total amount of food we eat, and can even decrease the chances that we seek a second serving altogether.

4.?Eat more slowly.

Have you ever sat down to eat something, pulled out your phone and then the next thing you know, the food is gone? You’re looking around, like “what happened?”. You’re checking under the table to see if the dog got it until you realize there is still some gravy on the corner of your mouth…not that I’m speaking from experience or anything. But seriously,?slowing down helps increase levels of fullness?and decrease overeating, so this holiday season try taking a sip of water in-between each bite, or take a breather between the salad and the main course and see how it affects your feelings of fullness.

5.?Pack up leftovers to avoid grazing throughout the day.

When dinner is at 2pm it’s easy to see how dinner, second dinner, and third dessert can start to blend together, that’s why packing up the leftovers after the main course is done can help mitigate some of the grazing that we engage in throughout the rest of the day, and limit mindless eating.

As you can see, there’s nothing on this list about denouncing mashed potatoes and gravy, or developing a phobia around Yule logs. Moderation and mindfulness can go a long way when it comes to weight management and are easy interventions to help you enjoy the stuffed turkey instead of feeling like one.

If you would like more guidance regarding your guidance feel free to?reach out to us?to discuss how a personalized nutrition plan can help you achieve your goals in the New Year!

A pleasantly satiated smile,

John