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The holidays are a time for family, friends, and curling up by the fire with a warm mug of hot cocoa and your favorite book.
But it’s also the one time of the year that staying in, cooking big meals, and baking delicious sweet treats actually sounds more appealing than spending the weekend outside.
With Christmas just around the corner, now is when you really have to buckle down and plan out an easy strategy, if you want to avoid the dreaded holiday weight gain.
Christmas Shopping: Never head to the mall on an empty stomach.
Easy Tips to Try:
1. Pack a few healthy snacks inside your purse before leaving the house, so you don’t end up blowing your appetite (or Christmas money!) on fast food.
2. Eat at a proper restaurant for lunch, rather than wasting empty calories on a greasy burger from McDonald’s or a sugar-packed pastry from Cinnabon.
Holiday Parties: Create an eating strategy beforehand.
Easy Tips to Try:
1. The simplest way to ensure that you eat something healthy at a social gathering is by bringing your own dish. You can still indulge, but by making a healthy side-dish, you can fill up on food that won’t pack on the pounds first.
2. Avoid appetizers as often as you possibly can. No matter what snacks are served before the meal, they’ll never be as delicious as the main course. So, it’s important not to fill up on hors-d'oeuvres before dinner.
Work Treats: Avoid the baked goods piling up in the communal kitchen.
Easy Tips to Try:
1. No matter what, somebody is going to bring in their homemade peppermint bark or holiday cookies. That’s why it’s so important to keep your desk stocked with healthy snacks that you can munch on throughout the day.
2. Of course, you can’t avoid splurging forever, so don’t completely restrict yourself. Instead, try eating something healthy, like a piece of fruit, before indulging. That way, you won’t be tempted to go overboard.
Huge Portions: With so much food to eat, portion control is an absolute must.
Easy Tips to Try:
1. Use small plates, bowls, and serving utensils to trick your brain into thinking you have more food on your plate. We tend to think that our plates need to be full, but more often than not, we end up eating way more than necessary. Try using a smaller plate and grab a little bit of everything. You might be surprised by how quickly you feel full!
2. Pour drinks into tall, skinny glasses instead of short, wide ones. A study at Cornell found that most people fill their glasses about 30 per cent more when they opt for shorter ones.
