10 tips to keep your figure during the holidays
Winter weight gain is a concern for many women today.
The winter holidays encourage snacking, sedentary behaviour and the consumption of food that is not always well balanced. In fact, between mid-November and mid-January, adults in Western societies gain about 0.5kg
Most of these people retain this excess weight in the long term.
That said, winter weight gain is not inevitable.
Here are 10 tips to help you keep your figure during the holidays!
1. Staying active
Sedentary activities, such as sitting on the sofa for a long time watching TV, can slow down your metabolism.
A sedentary lifestyle contributes to weight gain, especially when combined with snacking.
Doing physical activities as a family such as yoga in the park or walking can help you take your mind off food and focus on your loved ones.
2. Do not overdo the snacks
During the Christmas period, high-calorie snacks such as cookies and other Christmas sweets will be available.
When these sweets are readily available, it's tempting to nibble on them all day.
At home, this can be avoided by storing these cakes out of sight. However, this technique will be less effective at family parties or in the office.
3. Portion control
When the festive season approaches, it is not always easy to eat a balanced diet.
It can be tempting to fill your plate.
When you eat large portions, you are more likely to gain weight than those who choose reasonable portions.
To avoid this, simply use smaller plates, so you're less tempted!
4. Eating sensibly
Too often we don't take the time to eat mindfully: with the stress of work, managing the house, stressful events, we tend to eat quickly and poorly, and more often than not with distractions such as the TV.
This disconnects us from our own food awareness, and we no longer know when we are full. Indeed, it has been proven for many years that people who eat in front of the TV tend to gain more weight than people who eat at the table. Be careful!
5. Get enough sleep
Lack of sleep, quite common during the holidays, is one of the main causes of weight gain.
Sleep-deprived people tend to be hungrier, and therefore take in more calories, while expending less energy.
6. Keeping a Zen attitude
Managing the organisation of winter parties can be a stressful ordeal.
Stress can cause a rise in cortisol; a hormone released in response to a stressful event. Over time, high cortisol levels can lead to weight gain, as they are linked to an increase in food intake.
For these reasons, it is important to avoid overly stressful situations in general, but especially during the holidays, when we are easily overworked and surrounded by not always healthy snacks.
Some activities are effective in reducing the effects of stress.
These include yoga, meditation and deep breathing.
7. Focus on fibre
Fibre is an important nutrient that makes you feel full. Studies show that increased fibre consumption reduces total calorie intake, which can therefore prevent weight gain during the winter holidays.
However, holiday meals generally contain little fibre.
Make sure you eat foods that contain large amounts of them, such as fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds.
8. Taste your food sparingly
It is common to cook during the holidays. However, this can quickly lead to weight gain if you taste (repeatedly) every dish.
In this case, just do the bare minimum to ensure that the dishes are well seasoned (and no more!)
9. Bring your own balanced dish
It can be tempting to overeat high-calorie dishes during the festive season.
However, you have control over what you eat.
A simple tip is to bring your own healthy dish to share. This will ensure that you have a meal that meets your healthy and balanced eating goals.
10. Limit desserts
Desserts are everywhere during the Christmas season. Excessive consumption leads to weight gain due to the high sugar content.
Instead of eating desserts, focus on your favourite dishes.
Another tip is to enjoy the desserts you eat as slowly as possible, which will make you feel more satisfied and less likely to eat them again.
What did you think of this article? Did these tips help you come up with ideas to better manage holiday cravings? Let us know in the comments!