How to have fun and stay guilt free this holiday season.

By Sifa Tu

The Holiday season is here! During this time of year, it’s all about the parties, tasty food and beverages. However, all that indulging can have a downside: holiday weight gain. According to the journal of obesity the average person gains 1.7 pounds from Thanksgiving to the New Year. May not sound like much but the extra weight put on during the holidays isn’t lost during the following year and tends to pile on throughout the course of the year. Nevertheless, there are ways to avoid this trap. Try these simple tips and you can still eat, drink, and be merry without piling on the pounds.

Bring your own healthy food!
If you’re currently crushing your diet or you just don’t want to pack on the pounds during the holidays, then prepping your own healthy foods to bring to the party maybe just for you. This will keep you from being tempted due to limited amount of healthy food choices.

H20 is the way to go!
While rushing around shopping and preparing for guests, it’s easy to forget to drink plenty of water. Aim to get in at least eight glasses per day. Your body easily confuses being hungry and being thirsty, so drinking water regularly will keep you from eating when what you really need is to drink.

Eat Slowly!
A review of 22 studies that looked at eating speed and food intake published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2014 concluded that eating slowly reduces calorie intake. The flavor and texture become more noticeable, so a smaller amount of food still seems satisfying.

Fiber up!
Eating plenty of veggies and some fruits in season will help keep you satiated longer due to the fiber and keep you from splurging on some not so healthy foods.

Stay Active!
We all know the tremendous amount of health benefits when it comes to physical activity. So, hike, run, lift, stretch, dance etc., anything that will keep you active!

References

  1. Clark, Michelle J., and Joanne L. Slavin. “The effect of fiber on satiety and food intake: a systematic review.” Journal of the American College of Nutrition3 (2013): 200-211.
  2. Colman, Gregory J., and Dhaval M. Dave. Physical activity and health. No. w18858. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2013.
  3. Díaz-Zavala, Rolando G., et al. “Effect of the Holiday Season on Weight Gain: A Narrative Review.” Journal of obesity 2017 (2017).
  4. Parretti, Helen M., et al. “Efficacy of water preloading before main meals as a strategy for weight loss in primary care patients with obesity: RCT.” Obesity9 (2015): 1785-1791.
  5. Robinson, Eric, et al. “A systematic review and meta-analysis examining the effect of eating rate on energy intake and hunger.” The American journal of clinical nutrition(2014): ajcn-081745.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts

Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel.

Back To Top