If you’re excited about the holiday season, not just because of the festivities and presents but also the food, you are certainly not alone. A part of the reason why so many people make New Year’s Resolutions to lose weight is because of all of the eating that they did the month before.
The good news is that there are ways for you to enjoy your favorite foods without packing on the pounds in the process. If you’re curious about what some of those things are, please read on.
Pay attention to what you’re eating. The main reason why people overeat over the holidays is because they see all of the food that’s around them and then they eat and eat without paying attention to how many calories they are consuming. Plus, being that a lot of holiday dishes are loaded with sugar and fat, it can put your system into overload. Now, that’s not to say that you can’t enjoy some of your favorite holiday meals and desserts. It’s just best that you exhibit portion control and that you keep track of what you’re eating in the process. One way to do that is by using a food journal. You can read more about how they work by going to Real Simple and putting “how to keep a food journal” in the search field.
Remember that liquids have calories too. If you’re someone who feels that you can enjoy several glasses of eggnog so long as you don’t have three slices of sweet potato pie, it’s important to rethink that logic. The reason why is because calories don’t just come from what you eat but what you drink. There is a lot of sugar and many calories that come from alcohol and other drinks like hot chocolate and eggnog. One way to make sure that you don’t consume thousands of calories by having these kinds of drinks is by drinking two glasses of water per every one glass of sugary liquids, preferably a glass of water before and then a glass of water after.
Watch how you snack. It can be pretty tempting to see leftovers all over the house and want to snack on them all throughout the day; however, that is also a surefire way to pack on a few unwanted pounds. If you want something to nibble on, opt for fresh fruit and vegetables. That way, you can enjoy more foods at dinnertime. For a list of other healthy snacks that you can indulge in, visit RD and put “healthy snacks for adults” in the search field.
Don’t take a break from exercising. If a part of your workout routine consists of going to a gym in order to stay active, but you want to take a few days off to get some quality time in with your family members and friends, don’t forget to do something that involves movement. Whether it’s taking a walk, running on your treadmill or doing a bit of skiing, engaging in some form of exercise will help to keep your metabolism up so that you won’t have to shed quite as many pounds once the holiday eating is over.
Use some apps. If you have a smartphone, then you’re just a few apps away from keeping track of your calories and making sure you do all that you can to not put on extra weight. One website that has a list of apps that will help you to stay healthy and fit over the holidays is Health Line. Just go to the site and put “weight loss apps” in the search field.