With high fat and sugary foods in abundance during the holidays, its easy to overindulge here and there. But the price you pay come Janurary could be an extra 5 to 8 pounds, which is the amount of weight the average person gains during the holidays. Here are some tips to keep the weight at bay.
1. Pre-Diet
To prevent packing on the holiday pounds, go on the offense by “pre-dieting.” It works like this: start trimming off a few pounds of fat before th holidays get in full swing. Make slight reductions in your daily calorie intake, while increasing your aerobic exercise level to burn additional fat. You need to create a caloric deficit of around 3, 500 to lose a singe pound of fat, but the results are worthwhile.
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2. Bank Your Calories
Avoid holiday treats altogether can backfire by making you feel deprived and more likely to binge. A better strategy, according to many nutrition experts is to “bank” your calories. Make sure that you have accumulated a deposit of uneaten calories on the days when you know you will be attending parties or enjoying some a holiday feast. Eat a breakfast high in protein like scrambled egg with a 1/2 of an avocado and a salad with red wine vinegar and some kind of protein for lunch.
3. Fill up on Fiber
The real easy, no willpower way to stay lean during the holidays is something that most of us should be doing all year but aren’t: eating more fiber. Increasing your fiber intake will help to transform your holiday dieting efforts into something simple and automatic. You will be able to keep your weight under control without working at it. Taking a fiber supplement before you go out to a holiday party is a great way to make sure your body fills up faster and you don’t overeat.
4. Avoid or Limit Alcohol Consumption
During the holiday season there are plenty of alcoholic drinks available. Alcohol stimulates your appetite and will make it extremely hard to decline unneeded calories. Plus when there’s alcohol in you system, the liver has to work overtime to process it. Your body will always try to eliminate toxins first and this can interfere with its processing fat. A study conducted at the universe of Lausanne in Switzerland found that the addition of only three ounces of alcohol per day to the diet resulted in about one third less fat being processed.
If you’re going to drink, in moderation, chose red wine and clean liquors like vodka, bourbon and scotch. Remember that you can remain social by sipping on seltzer, club soda, or sparkling mineral water on the rocks with a citrus twist.
5. Stay Active
Sticking to your regular weight training and aerobic exercise routines is one of the best ways to curb your fat gain during the holidays. So regardless of what comes between you and your workout, try not to eliminate them all together. Use your workouts to let off steam and help burn off those extra calories.
Foods to limit at during the holidays: White pastas, bread, white rice, cookies, pastries, pies, sugar, candy corn, cheese, dips, beer, mixed drinks,
Foods to fill up on during the holidays: nuts, hard boiled eggs, seafood, veggies, fruit,
Drinks to consume in Moderation: Wine, champagne, clean liquors like vodka, bourbon, and scotch
Douglas Taurel is the owner of Taurel Fitness. He’s been a fitness expert and nutrition consultant for over 15 years. He’s trains triathletes, executives and performers. Sign up for his healthy recipes and workout tips at TaurelFitness.com and follow him @TaurelFitness
