After a week of packing and studying, I'm back on my blogging grind, and just in time to dish out some weight-gain defying tips for the holidays. With all of the cookies, eggnog, and candy canes floating around this time of year, keeping off the holiday pounds can be challenging. This doesn't have to be the case, though. Below, I've provided some helpful tips to help keep those excess pounds at bay:
Hit the gym, but don't go in thinking that if you workout, you can eat more. Throughout the holiday season, we're inclined to eat more than we normally would. This means that even if you keep up with your normal exercise regimen, you won't be burning off the excess food you're taking in. Elisa Zied, RD, recommends tacking an additional 10 minutes onto your workout for a week to help counter the additional food.
Don't go to a holiday party on an empty stomach. This tip draws on another one of Zied's; coming from experience, we all know that holiday gatherings are not synonymous with healthy eats. Sure, you may be able to spot a fruit or veggie platter, but that's not likely to stop you from loading your plate with buttered up potatoes and an assortment of desserts. And it shouldn't! The holidays are all about relaxing and taking in the delicious food it has to offer, but that's no excuse to let yourself go wild. If you're worried about maintaing self-control, Zied recommends eating a light meal made up of protein and a fiber (such as grilled chicken and veggies, or greek yogurt and raspberries) to fill you up a bit before hitting the party. When you sit down to eat, you can avoid feeling as if you need to fill your plate with everything in sight. If you still feel the urge, opt for a smaller-sized appetizer plate over a larger one.
Refrain from sampling everything— yet another of Zied's helpful tips. If you're presented with a wide assortment of goods, don't tell yourself that by taking just a small portion of each you're keeping the calories down. All of those cookies and cheese balls can add up pretty quickly. Instead, serve yourself a larger portion of the healthier options (such as salad and lean protein) and take Prevention's advice by sampling only what gives you the most satisfaction. That could mean that instead of eating one of the grocery-store bought cookies, you indulge in a piece of your mom's homemade pie.
If you're cooking, make some healthy ingredient swaps to bring down the calories and unhealthy fat. Anyone that keeps up with the blog knows that I'm always advocating for this. With so many easy and healthy substitutions available, there's no reason not to take advantage of them! If you don't tell your guests about the substitutes in your recipes, they probably won't even notice! This was the case with my batch of black bean brownies; my roommate, Casey, a.k.a. the brownie connoisseur, had no idea there were beans in them. Even before I told him about the healthier ingredients they were made with, he couldn't get over how great they were! For some healthy baking substitutions, be sure to check out Greatist's list, providing you with 83 of them!
If you can't handle the temptation, don't sabotage yourself. Going back to all of those great unhealthy holiday foods, if you know that the mere sight of them will have you digging in, don't keep these foods out in the open. As a wise person once said, "out of sight, out of mind." I've always found it helpful to keep such goods in places that I'm not likely to frequent, such as the back of the pantry or the fridge. If simply knowing that they're there is too much to handle, clear them out altogether! As your holiday party comes to a close, send your guests home with the leftovers, or if you're having a smaller gathering with the family, take whatever you don't want tempting you over to the office the following day. I'm sure your co-workers would appreciate the treats!
Instead of watching TV for hours on end, get in some active quality time with friends and family. The Christmas specials aren't going to stop airing if you leave the couch for a few hours. There are plenty of fun, calorie-burning activities you and your fellow companions can partake in! Why not get everyone together and go iceskating, take a walk around the neighborhood that's notorious for their Christmas lights, or go for a group bike ride?
Don't wait until you get going with your New Years resolutions to start making healthy decisions. You can still maintain your health and fitness goals throughout the holiday season without forgoing the gingerbread!
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