20 Practical Strategies to Stay on Track with Weight Goals During the Holiday Season
Hey Team,
Today, I am excited to share 20 practical strategies to effortlessly enhance your holiday experience while maintaining your weight management goals. These tips are designed to blend seamlessly into your holiday routine, allowing you to enjoy all the festive cheer while still keeping your goals in sight. You can navigate the season's joy and spirit by incorporating even a few strategies without compromising your nutritional goals.
20 Ways To Stay On Track This Holiday Season
#1 Be More Active: Many traditions involve sitting and eating, which can lead to inactivity. Break this cycle by going for a walk or playing light games with friends and family.
#2 Snacking Wisely: During the holiday season, easy access to snacks leads to unnecessary snacking, which spikes insulin levels. These insulin spikes can hinder fat loss, so sticking to scheduled meals is better. When we eat during specific times, our blood sugar rises and falls, putting us in a fat-burning zone. If you want to snack, try to do it around meal times. For example, if you break your fast with a meal, you can enjoy a treat afterward without negatively impacting your fat-burning process.
#3 Watch your portion sizes: It's easy to overindulge, especially when facing the fantastic variety of foods during the holidays. The feeling of scarcity can lead to overeating, so controlling portion sizes is crucial. Try this new technique: take a picture of your food before you eat. Studies show that doing this can influence your mindset, making you more mindful of your consumption. You should try it and see how it affects your eating habits. Practice mindful eating!
#4 Chew Slowly and Thoroughly: It can take up to 20 minutes for your body to realize that you're full after you start eating. During this time, your stomach sends signals to your brain to indicate that you should stop eating. Eating more slowly and chewing your food thoroughly gives your stomach enough time to send those signals to your brain, allowing you to feel full more quickly.
#5 Get Plenty of Sleep: Sleep deprivation is expected during the holiday season and can lead to weight gain for two main reasons. First, it increases cortisol levels, which can store fat and raise insulin levels, leading to more fat accumulation and inflammation. Second, people who don't get enough sleep often feel hungrier, consume more calories, and exercise less due to fatigue. Getting adequate sleep is essential to maintain your metabolism and keep your circadian rhythms in check.
#6 Control Your Stress Levels:
In Tip #5, we discussed cortisol, the stress hormone that can lead to weight gain. When stressed, your body prepares for fight or flight, triggering hunger for fatty and sugary foods. To manage this, activities like exercise, walking, running, weight training, meditation, yoga, and breathing techniques can help lower stress levels.
#7 Keep Meals Balanced With Protein: Increasing protein intake helps you feel fuller faster and supports building muscle tissue. You can naturally lower calorie intake and reduce hunger by including protein in meals. If you plan to indulge in sweets, eat some protein first to help regulate your blood sugar and improve your body's response.
#8 Focus On Fiber. When eating a meal, prioritize adding vegetables for fiber. Fiber is essential for your gut biome, which is crucial in hormone regulation. It helps leptin, a hormone that signals fullness to your brain. Without adequate fiber, the gut biome struggles, inhibiting leptin release and potentially leading to overeating.
#9 Cut Back On Taste Testing:
Many people spend a lot of time cooking and baking during the holiday season. It's no surprise that if you're the one doing the baking and cooking, you'll likely be testing everything, which can lead to more snacking and a higher caloric intake. This can also result in elevated blood sugar levels and make it more challenging to manage weight gain during the holidays.
#10 Bring A Healthy Dish To Share: When visiting someone else's home, it can be uncomfortable if you have specific dietary needs. Asking if there are gluten-free options can lead to awkward moments. To avoid this, consider bringing a dish to share. This guarantees you have something satisfying to eat while contributing to the gathering.
#11 Limit Your Dessert Intake: Desserts are abundant during the holiday season, and while you may encounter a variety of them, it often leads to excessive sugar consumption. Instead of indulging in every treat you see, consider using the strategy we discussed: choose just one dessert and pair it with your meal.
#12 Limit Your Liquid Calories: During the holidays, it's common to be offered alcohol, soda, and other calorie-rich drinks like eggnog. Many of these beverages are high in sugar, resulting in empty calories that don't provide nutritional value. If you choose to consume alcoholic beverages, it's best to do so in moderation.
#13 Use Smaller Plates: If we want to control our portion sizes at dinner, especially during potlucks, the best way is to use smaller plates.
#14 Modify Your Recipes: Many high-calorie homemade goods contribute to weight gain during the holidays. To reduce caloric content, try substituting ingredients: use applesauce, mashed banana, or pumpkin puree instead of butter, and consider sugar substitutes like stevia instead of regular sugar. Swap chocolate chips or candies for dried fruits. Additionally, heavy creams should be replaced with lower-calorie options like Greek yogurt instead of cream cheese, sour cream, or mayonnaise.
#15 Weigh Yourself Regularly: Weighing yourself daily is a practical approach to monitoring your weight. Although two to three pounds daily fluctuations are normal, regular checks help increase awareness about changes. Checking your weight can provide insights if you notice your clothes fitting differently. Frequent weigh-ins can enhance your chances of losing and maintaining weight, especially during the holiday season.
#16 Use The Buddy System: Many people succeed in reaching their weight goals when they have a partner to pursue them with. Finding a health buddy with similar weight objectives can motivate you and help keep you accountable, especially during the holidays. Consider contacting friends, family members, or colleagues who could fit a buddy system well. Having someone to share the journey with can make a big difference in staying on track.
# 17 Avoid Processed Foods: Processed holiday foods, such as boxed mashed potatoes and stuffing, are more readily available than ever during the holiday season. These options are convenient and quick to prepare but often contain excess sugar and unhealthy fats, which can negatively impact your weight. To prevent weight gain during the holidays, it's best to choose whole foods and prepare your meals from scratch. This way, you can have better control over the ingredients you consume and avoid many other associated health issues.
# 18 Plan Ahead: Planning is critical to managing intake and weight gain during the holidays. A simple strategy is eating a healthy meal before a holiday party. This way, you'll feel full, reduce the pressure to eat out of hunger and make better food choices. Plus, eating at home allows you to control your consumption more efficiently.
#19 Skip Seconds: If you've already had a small plate, you might think about getting another, which can lead to overindulging. We often return for more because the food tastes great and is hard to resist. My weakness isn't necessarily going for seconds but just getting "a little bit more." That little bit can quickly turn into a third helping. So, while trying to be aware of this tendency isn't foolproof, it's essential to recognize it when aiming to skip seconds.
#20 Draw The Line With Portion Control: Aim to eat less than you want, following the 80% rule! Try to savor your meals by leaving your belly about 80% full. It's a great way to enjoy what you eat while still feeling light and energized!
Many individuals postpone healthy habits during the holiday season, often thinking, "I'll start tomorrow." This mentality can lead to the continuation of unhealthy behaviors. For those serious about managing their weight, it is essential to establish clear limits and adhere to specific goals without compromise.
It is essential to recognize that the best time to begin making positive changes is now rather than waiting until after the holidays. Implementing these strategies allows you to navigate the holiday season while prioritizing your health.
· The author, Rob Sumner, is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Athletic Trainer, owner of Specialized Strength Fitness and Specialized Physical Therapy in Colville. He's happy to answer any questions about this article, wellness, fitness, or your health overall by phone at (509) 684-5621 or by email at Rob@SumnerPT.com
