Plan-Prepare-Enjoy Crystal Bradley
It’s beginning to look a lot like that time of year when everyone who has been health conscious and attempting to lose weight, dreads: THE HOLIDAY SEASON. The last two months of the calendar year are typically filled with joy, multiple family gatherings, sharing memories with friends and family members from near or far, and of course food, meals upon meals upon meals. There are sweets galore, countless carbs, and empty calories everywhere! Temptations as far as the eye can see for all who have been doing everything to behave and avoid these very situations, only to succumb to Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, brunches, breakfasts, and lunches leading to the consumption of excessive amounts of empty calories. So how can one avoid sabotaging their hard work, dedication, and progress during this joyous season? Read on to learn 12 ways to escape weight gain during the holidays.
1. Stick to your normal routine. Holidays do not give you an excuse to avoid your exercise routine, decrease your consumption of recommended protein, or avoid drinking water. Continue to adhere to your normal daily routine prior to engaging in and extra activities. This practice may just prevent you from overeating and minimizing weight gain.
2. Get plenty of sleep. Sleep helps prevent weight gain. People who are sleep deprived have a tendency to overeat because of increased hunger hormones. This population also tends skip their exercise routines because of excessive tiredness, ultimately leading to weight gain.
3. Decrease stress levels. Emotions, including stress, leads to binging and overeating for many people. Alleviating stress is very important, especially during holidays. High stress levels increase cortisol, in turn, causing weight gain. One may try meditating, yoga, exercise, or deep breathing exercises to reduce stress levels and help prevent inadvertent increases in weight.
4. Practice mindful eating techniques and minimize distractions. The brain will not recognize a feeling of satiety for 20 minutes. People are unable to pay attention to the body’s clues expressing fullness when they are being distracted with TV’s, cell phones, or engaging in multiple conversations. Practicing mindful eating techniques will allow the body to recognize feelings of fullness leading to a decrease in overeating.
5. Watch portion sizes. One way to decrease how much we eat is to use a smaller plate. Utilize the largest area for protein and vegetables. Adding healthy grains or carbs to the minimal space left will continue to satisfy you, yet not feel overly guilty.
6. Eat your protein!! All of my patients have heard me say this multiple times: “How much protein are you consuming”? “You probably are a little deficit in protein,” “try increasing protein to decrease cravings and increase satiety”. Protein is essential in helping people feel full. Protein assists in prolonging the digestion process. Consuming around 30 grams of protein per meal, especially the first meal of the day, will keep you satisfied and help reduce binging later on in the day. BONUS: Protein helps build muscles, which burn fat! So, EAT YOUR PROTEIN!
7. Eat your fiber. Fiber is also known to help increase a patient’s sense of fullness. Fiber helps decrease cholesterol levels as well. Fiber is found in many fruits and vegetables, along with whole grains, and nuts. Studies have proven diets high in fiber can reduce excessive caloric intake, thus helping prevent weight gain.
8. Bring a healthy dish to share for gatherings and modify recipes. Bringing a dish, you personally made, will help guarantee you will have a food that is healthy to enjoy. Modifying recipes to make them healthier, can reduce unwanted calories you would have otherwise consumed.
9. Limit desserts. Sweets plague many patients and sabotage hard work. Consuming excessive calories from sweets leads to unwanted weight gain. I have been telling patients to enjoy themselves during the holidays, but not to OVER-indulge. Focusing on their favorites instead of sampling 12 different desserts. Try small portions of two desserts instead of a plate full of 6 full size options. Indulging in large amounts of sweets will lead to over consumption of calories, weight gain, and a sense of never-ending guilt.
10. Watch alcohol intake. Alcohol is linked to increased appetite and weight gain from an over consumption of empty calories and sugar. This practice also leads to decreased blood sugar levels, which in turn leads to over eating. Having too many alcoholic drinks also inhibits one’s reasoning and mindful thinking leading to over eating and weight gain.
11. Stay active. As mentioned above, adhering to existing exercise routines can reduce chances of excessive weight gain during holidays. Continuing these practices, going for walks after big meals and continuous movement will help decrease the chances of gaining any unwanted pounds. Bottom line: Don’t be a couch potato during the holidays, keep moving!
12. Get adequate amounts of sleep. Sleep, as mentioned in Dr. Gelly’s blog, is very important to repair the body and recharge. Holidays are usually full of traveling, stress, and exhaustion which all can attribute to consuming extra calories and weight gain. Sleep can reduce these factors. It is crucial to take care of yourself during the holidays by getting the appropriate amount of sleep every night!
Plan, prepare, and enjoy the holidays! Don’t sabotage yourself with one day!